Ayo Dosunmu hoped for an opportunity to reach the playoffs this season.
It looks as if Dosunmu will get his wish. He will make his debut with the Minnesota Timberwolves when they tip off against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Dosunmu arrived in Minnesota on Friday but was inactive for the Timberwolves’ game that night against the New Orleans Pelicans as he acclimated to his new city and new team. The former Chicago Bulls guard is expected to be a key part of the Timberwolves’ rotation starting Sunday.
“This is a great opportunity for me,” Dosunmu said. “I’m excited to be here with the Timberwolves’ playoff team. [There are a] lot of great guys on the team, great coaching staff, great management. I’m just excited to help get over that hump, whatever it takes to help win.”
Dosunmu’s debut could provide a much-needed jolt of energy to the Timberwolves, who are coming off a 119-115 loss at home against the Pelicans. The defeat left a sour taste in Minnesota’s locker room after the game and prompted Rudy Gobert to call out unnamed teammates for a lack of defensive effort.
“Just no effort,” Gobert said. “We’ve seen that many, many times this year, last few years, since I’ve been here. We always know it’s coming. When it comes there’s no sense of urgency, no accountability.
“So I think at some point, if the players don’t have accountability, someone has to have accountability for the players.”
If the players can’t police themselves, Gobert said, then the coaches must do it.
“It should start with ourselves, but it seems like we don’t have that, so I think at some point from the coaches, yeah,” Gobert said. “It’s not an easy position for a coach to take guys out of the game. It’s not something that you want to do, but I think if the players don’t show any effort, at some point, no matter how talented we are as a team, if you don’t have that, you just can’t be a winning team.”
The next opportunity for a high-effort performance comes against a Clippers squad that looks much different than it did a week ago. Los Angeles traded key veterans such as James Harden and Ivica Zubac before the trade deadline, and new acquisition Darius Garland remains sidelined because of a toe injury.
Despite the changes, the Clippers held on for a 114-111 road victory against the Sacramento Kings in their most recent game. Kawhi Leonard led the way with 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Look for Leonard to take on a leadership role again Sunday.
“(I’m) just staying aggressive,” Leonard said. “Trying to get wins, that’s it. I’d trade it all for more wins.”
This is the second of four regular-season meetings between the Timberwolves and Clippers. Minnesota won the first matchup 109-106 on Dec. 6 thanks to a team-high 27 points on 10-for-13 shooting by Jaden McDaniels.
