Ayo Dosunmu

Minnesota's bench will go fast and small. "Pushing out in transition and making the game go faster will be our identity," Terrence Shannon Jr. said, with Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland. Rebounding is the focus; he said it has improved since the first preseason game.

"So for him to come back and be able to play the game that he loves to play, that's all God." Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu, after the Oct. 7 preseason game, on Tyrese returning to the court from his Achilles injury. Health matters most, Dosunmu said.

Ayo Dosunmu (Minnesota media availability) is teaching LaMelo Ball to defend pick-and-rolls next to Rudy Gobert: "I promise you his defensive is going to rise." He says the roster is built for a faster pace, though close games still need half-court execution.

Ayo Dosunmu said he's told Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball to turn the defensive attention they draw into lobs and pocket passes for Rudy Gobert: "that boosts his confidence." On his new deal: "I wanna look back in 3 years and they say, oh, that was a steal of a contract."

Minnesota's Bones Hyland expects a bigger role leading the second unit with Ayo Dosunmu. He says more pick-and-roll will free Rudy Gobert at the rim, Jonathan Kuminga will be a threat on the move and in transition, and "some guys may have to" sacrifice shots to win.

Bones Hyland on the clip of Anthony Edwards trash-talking Jaylen Clark: "They had the wrong words what he said. He didn't say that." He declined to give the real ones. Hyland, Ayo Dosunmu and LaMelo Ball are the "core guys" who have hard talks with Edwards, plus Rudy Gobert.

Clark expects a fast attack, with Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland among the guards "all pushing" to open lanes. The game has "finally slowed down" for him in camp. On his contract year: anyone claiming not to think about the money is "lying... that's life-changing money."