The Minnesota Timberwolves have spent the past couple of seasons zigging while the rest of the NBA zagged. They leaned into two-big lineups when everyone else was chasing speed and spacing, building around Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and later Julius Randle.
This offseason, though, Minnesota flipped the script. After moving Randle and Naz Reid, the Wolves are heading toward a smaller look even as the league keeps stockpiling size.
That shift doesn’t just change the team’s shape. It changes Ayo Dosunmu’s job description.
Dosunmu arrived from the Chicago Bulls in a midseason trade and settled in as Minnesota’s backup point guard, with a few starts mixed in. But after the Timberwolves traded for LaMelo Ball, Dosunmu is now expected to spend more time on the wing.
At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, that’s not exactly a clean fit on paper. Still, Minnesota has enough reasons to try it - carefully.
Dosunmu brings the kind of tools that can make a smaller lineup hum. NBA.com lists his wingspan at 6-foot-10, and he paired that length with a 39-inch vertical, giving him the pop to hold up against wing players defensively. His stocky build also helps keep him from being bullied around the basket.
Then there’s the speed. His “Twin Turbos” label with Bones Hyland works best when he’s handling the ball, but that burst also translates off the ball. As a spot-up option, he can add a real jolt to the offense.
The shooting is the part that makes the idea especially interesting. Dosunmu has hit 38 percent of his career 3s, and he shot 43.9 percent last season between Chicago and Minnesota.
That kind of production can come in waves, but when he’s rolling, defenses have to respect it. That opens up more room in the paint and gives the Wolves another way to stretch the floor.
Minnesota’s need for that kind of flexibility is only growing with Donte DiVincenzo expected to miss most of the season while rehabbing from a torn Achilles. Dosunmu’s ability to slide between roles could matter a lot, and the concept isn’t all that different from what the Oklahoma City Thunder have done.
Oklahoma City leaned on players such as Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Lu Dort and Jared McCain in ways that blurred the line between backcourt and small forward. That kind of versatility gives a team multiple ways to attack and defend, but it also creates some real questions about how the pieces fit once the games start.
For Minnesota, the Dosunmu-on-the-wing idea probably works best as a changeup, not a permanent identity. If the Wolves ask him to play full-time small forward, opponents could start hunting mismatches. And the rebounding concern is real too - Dosunmu averaged 3.4 boards per game last season, which could leave Minnesota exposed on the glass.
Used the right way, though, the move could help the Timberwolves become a more lively, more dangerous team than they were a year ago. Dosunmu has the athleticism to keep up, the shooting to matter, and the versatility to give Minnesota another layer.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Fans Are Facing A Frustrating Trust Test With Tim Connelly
The Timberwolves are once again staring at a familiar kind of roster puzzle, one that leaves fans wondering whether the front office is comfortable letting the season begin with a hole still on the depth chart. Tim Connelly has built a reputation for staying active when he sees a need, and Minnesotas recent history under him suggests he is willing to keep hunting for upgrades rather than settle for a stopgap just to say the job is done.
For now, the challenge is less about urgency than patience, because the market at power forward does not appear especially rich in obvious solutions. Minnesota did add Trey Lyles, but his role is still something of a question after a year away from the NBA, and the more practical path may be to wait until the trade market opens up later in the season. For a fan base that has seen Connelly make meaningful moves before, this has the feel of a trust test: do you believe help is coming, or do you worry the answer is still out there somewhere? [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Finally Has A Shot At The NBA's Best Backcourt
Anthony Edwards finally has the kind of partner that can change the shape of Minnesotas offense, and the conversation around the Timberwolves is shifting fast. Pairing him with LaMelo Ball gives the Wolves a starting backcourt that already belongs in the leagues upper tier on paper, with enough shot creation, pace and playmaking to make opposing defenses work from the opening tip.
The real test, of course, is how it looks once the season starts and the league gets a full read on the fit. Minnesota will be measured against other elite guard tandems around the NBA, but the Wolves case is especially intriguing because the ceiling is so high and the margin for error is so small. For now, the idea of Edwards and Ball being the best backcourt in basketball is more a challenge than a conclusion, and the answer will come only after the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]