Jonathan Kuminga may open the season in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ starting five, but the lineup that gives them the best chance to finish games might look different. The better closing group, according to this view, is the smaller one that includes Ayo Dosunmu.
Kuminga has been projected as a starter since he signed with Minnesota, in part because Shams Charania said so and because the Timberwolves have a clear opening at power forward. On opening night against the Miami Heat, Kuminga is expected to be in the starting unit. But that doesn’t lock him into the role all season.
The case for Dosunmu is built on fit. He has already shown he can thrive when asked to play alongside other high-end talent rather than dominate the ball himself.
That matters on a roster with Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, and Jaden McDaniels. Kuminga, by contrast, could end up taking shots that are too difficult and disrupting the flow of the offense.
Dosunmu also gives Minnesota more space to work with. He shot 43.9 percent from 3-point range, while Kuminga was at 33.3 percent.
That difference matters when the Wolves are trying to create cleaner lanes for Edwards and Ball, especially late in games when every possession gets tighter. The Kuminga-Rudy Gobert frontcourt raises real concerns about spacing, and that could make the offense feel cramped when it matters most.
Ayo changes the geometry. With him on the floor, defenses are forced to choose between helping off a trusted catch-and-shoot threat or staying home and letting Edwards or Ball attack one-on-one.
And while Kuminga may be the more gifted creator on paper, Dosunmu is the steadier decision-maker. That kind of reliability is a big deal in high-pressure moments.
There’s also a practical reason Minnesota could prefer to bring Dosunmu off the bench. The Wolves need more perimeter creation and playmaking from their second unit, and that’s where Kuminga’s role becomes more useful.
Starting Kuminga is also the cleanest way to keep him in a complementary lane. Meanwhile, Dosunmu can still impact the game both on the ball and off it, and his presence on the bench helps make LaMelo’s minutes easier to manage.
That doesn’t mean Minnesota has to be rigid about it. Closing with a different group than the one that starts the game is common, and there are matchups where Kuminga could absolutely be the better option. If he’s rolling, or if the opponent makes more sense for a bigger look, the Wolves can lean that way.
But most nights, the smaller lineup with Dosunmu looks like the one that will work best. The trade-off is giving up some frontcourt size and rebounding, but the cleaner offense is the bigger prize.
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Hornets Fans Have One Big Reason To Watch Minnesota's Next Move
The Timberwolves have already made their biggest splash of the offseason by landing LaMelo Ball from Charlotte in a deal that sent Naz Reid and multiple draft picks the other way. They also added Jonathan Kuminga, who will wear No. 24, giving Minnesota a newer, more athletic look around a roster that is clearly being reshaped with an eye on the future.
For Hornets fans, though, the real reason to keep one eye on Minnesota is the possibility that the Wolves are not done making major moves. With a veteran center carrying a complicated contract situation and Minnesota showing a willingness to lean younger in the frontcourt, there is at least a path toward another significant change down the line. Nothing has been finalized, but the next Timberwolves move could end up mattering just as much to Charlotte as the one that already did. [Read more 🡒]
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Kevin Loves name keeps circling back to Minnesota, and this time the fit makes a little more sense on paper than it has in years. The Timberwolves have a roster spot available and the cap space to add a veteran if they choose, which has turned a possible reunion into more than just nostalgic talk. For a young team that has spent the last few seasons building toward contention, Love would bring something the room still can use: a player who has lived through deep playoff runs and knows what winning habits look like.
The appeal is not about asking him to be a centerpiece again. Love spent last season in a limited role in Utah, and at this stage of his career he would be more of a low-minute stabilizer than a nightly rotation driver. For Minnesota, the question is whether a familiar voice with championship experience is worth the roster spot, especially if the plan is to keep leaning on youth while adding a steadying veteran presence around it. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga's New Situation Could Change How Hawks Fans Feel
Jonathan Kumingas move to Minnesota is the kind of signing that can look straightforward on paper and still carry a lot of intrigue once the roster fit comes into focus. He picked the Timberwolves over other suitors, including the Lakers, and the deal gives him a fresh start on a team that has built its identity around length, pressure and defensive versatility.
Still, there is at least some skepticism about how quickly Kuminga will find a clear lane in the rotation, especially with established pieces already in place. His agent, Aaron Turner, framed the choice as a fit-for-defense decision, but the second year of the contract is a player option, which keeps this from feeling like a simple long-term lock. [Read more 🡒]