With Anthony Edwards out with knee inflammation, Ayo Dosunmu has been starting in his place, and he's excelled. In the four games that Dosunmu has started, he's averaged 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. I understand the small sample-size, but those are borderline All-Star numbers.
Not only has Dosunmu been putting up monster numbers in these games, but the Timberwolves are 3-1 as well. His play is translating to wins. Assuming the Wolves are able to extend Dosunmu in the offseason, it appears that this will be the latest of Tim Connelly's heists.
When Anthony Edwards returns, Ayo Dosunmu should start next to him
Donte DiVincenzo has been one of the best role players in the entire NBA this season, and there's no doubt that he's been an integral part of the Timberwolves' success. But there is one thing that we can agree on: he isn't a point guard.
Donte is certainly *capable* of handling the basketball, but his ideal role is an off-the-ball flamethrower that spreads out the defense. Ayo Dosunmu is a much more natural ball handler, which would lessen the point guard duties for Anthony Edwards. Sometimes he can be overtaxed as a playmaker, which isn't what he's best at.
This would benefit the Wolves in the playoffs, most importantly, as when opposing teams inevitably press them 94-feet, they'll have a more trustworthy ball handler to break it.
With this change, I don't think DiVincenzo should play any fewer minutes. Rather, I think it's more so just having one true point guard on the floor at all times, whether it's Dosunmu or Bones Hyland.
This change could benefit both Ayo Dosunmu and Donte DiVincenzo
Bringing Donte off the bench would create a bench unit that would be extremely hard to deal with. With Bones Hyland initiating the offense, having DiVincenzo and Naz Reid as spacers, and having Kyle Anderson as a connecting piece that can also facilitate, that bench would be extremely balanced and tough to guard.
Having Dosunmu in the starting lineup would benefit a number of starters greatly, especially Rudy Gobert. Even though it's still new, Dosunmu has been one of the guys on the team most willing to feed Gobert the ball. Unlocking Gobert and making him an actual threat on offense opens the game up much more for others.
But statistical reasoning aside, Dosunmu has flat-out been hooping recently, and that alone could justify a promotion to the starting lineup. Teams don't usually make a lineup change this late into the season. Regardless, when it's a move that benefits both parties (Ayo and Donte), it should be heavily considered.