It is tough to combat one of the greatest players of all time, and the Minnesota Timberwolves are dealing with that reality.
Minnesota couldn’t handle the Denver Nuggets in game one of the NBA Playoffs. Nikola Jokic torched the Timberwolves for 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. He knows what it takes to win the NBA Finals, and he is going to be tough to beat.
Regardless of how Jokic plays, Minnesota is going to need to play better heading into game two. One outlet they can turn to is former Illini great Ayo Dosunmu.
Dosunmu has been a great spark to the franchise since being shipped from the Chicago Bulls. He is averaging 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals over 24 games with Minnesota. Dosunmu has also been lighting it up from deep, hitting 41.4% of his three-pointers since the trade.
I would argue the only reason that Minnesota was in game one of the first round was due to Dosunmu’s play off the bench. He was a light in what was a rather dark game.
The Timberwolves had Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and Jaden McDaniels go a combined 2-of-16, 12.5%, from beyond the three-point arc.
Dosunmu alone hit more three-pointers, as he was 3-of-7 from deep. He played 28 minutes for the Timberwolves, and on both ends of the court, he was their heartbeat.
Even something as simple as hustle was starting to drive Dosunmu crazy. Late in the game, when Minnesota was still alive, Dosunmu chased down a breakaway from Jamal Murray. He was able to stop Denver from scoring, but none of his teammates were trailing the play.
The result ended up being the Nuggets getting the ball back and eventually scoring. After the defensive stop, Dosunmu was clearly frustrated that his teammates weren’t trailing the play and hustling. They just thought Denver was going to score.
Minnesota Timberwolves have zero chance to advance with that poor display of shooting
Dosunmu was a breath of fresh air on Saturday. His 3-of-7 shooting was a lifeline for the franchise, and they are going to need that spark off the bench moving forward.
Even if Dosunmu puts up a 30-spot off the bench, I would bet the Timberwolves don’t have a shot if they continue to shoot so poorly.
Minnesota’s starters weren’t taking good shots. Edwards was coming down the court and playing a lot of isolation basketball. He wasn’t moving the ball, and the result was a heavily contested shot.
When the Timberwolves get the ball inside, they are a much more productive team. I know the three-point shot is the name of the game, but if you just strip the three-pointer away, Minnesota shot 29-of-53, 54.7%, from two-point range.
It is going to come down to one simple thing. Can Minnesota shoot better in game two? Dosunmu’s spark off the bench makes them competitive, but the team has to start shooting better to have any chance against Jokic.
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