With Anthony Edwards sidelined for the next two or so months, the Minnesota Timberwolves need a bit more from everyone. Ayo Dosunmu is one of the players who is most directly impacted by Ant's injury, though. Dosunmu now part of the starting lineup, and the Wolves will lean on his creation more than before.
To me, Dosunmu was one of the most impressive Timberwolves players in the first game without Edwards. He recorded 17 points, four assists, three rebounds, and four steals. Nevertheless, 100 percent of his field goals were assisted, and he posted a 16.6 usage rate. As such, this game is a bit of a mixed bag regarding Ayo's scalability, and in the future, they'll need more from him on the ball.
Dosunmu typically thrives playing alongside established players, in a complementary role, but there's evidence to suggest that he can scale up. He famously scored 43 points in a playoff game against the Denver Nuggets last season. Plus, Ayo is an elite downhill scorer. The Wolves will need a collective effort to fill the creation void left behind by Edwards, and Dosunmu will be a big part of this.
The Wolves didn't sign Ayo to a $112 million contract solely because of his complementary skills—they did so because he can scale up if needed. Now, it's time for him to prove that he can do that. If he can, the Wolves will have a much easier time navigating life without Ant. Conversely, if Dosunmu can't provide consistent on-ball relief, Minnesota's offense will likely dry up, and the team will get behind the eight ball.
The Timberwolves need Ayo Dosunmu to provide consistent on-ball juice
I feel fairly confident about Dosunmu scaling up. In addition to his outburst in the playoffs, Ayo averaged 18.7 points last season during a seven-game stretch without Edwards. However, this will be a longer stretch without Edwards, and Dosunmu needs to prove himself.
Ayo's rim pressure is the main skill that bodes well for his scalability.
Last season, Ayo ranked in the 98th percentile for rim attempts per 75 possessions according to Databallr. In fairness, a lot of these attempts were in transition. Still, as we saw against the Nuggets, he can be a handful in the half-court as a downhill scorer. Moreover, to fill the specific perimeter creation void left behind by Edwards, Dosunmu will be key.
The Wolves will need to lean on Dosunmu's finishing more, given LaMelo Ball's inability to get to the rim. With opposing defenses committing a lot of resources to Ball, the Wolves will need Ayo to create some of these opportunities for himself.
Considering the Wolves' roster construction, teams will often hide their defensive weak link on Dosunmu, and he must punish them. Yet, I wonder how he'll perform against elite defenses and rim protection. In those games, the Wolves will need Ayo more than ever.
Likewise, the Wolves need someone who can take the pressure off LaMelo, and as the team's secondary ball-handler, Dosunmu is a prime candidate to do so.
Encouragingly, Ayo's playmaking has stood out this season. He's making great reads on his drives and has been a solid table-setter. Against the Orlando Magic, he even recorded nine assists. Having another player who can create for himself and others would be a big boost for the Timberwolves' offense without Edwards.
Ayo has shown the ability to do this in flashes, but that's never been his bread and butter. Therefore, the question becomes: Can he provide consistent playmaking?
Ultimately, Dosunmu's ability to handle more on-ball duties as a scorer and playmaker will be a key swing factor in the Wolves' success without Edwards. Wednesday's game was a solid first step, but going forward, the Timberwolves will need a bit more from him on the ball.
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