The Detroit Pistons are in the market for the exact skill set that Ayo Dosunmu offers
If the Detroit Pistons are looking to take their recent second round exit from the playoffs and learn from the difficult experience, the squad would be well served to address the areas that became critical points of concern during the playoffs.
Against the Orlando Magic in round one, the Pistons ran into trouble when Franz Wagner’s stingy defensive pressure forced Cade Cunningham into a mountain of turnover trouble. It was only after Wagner exited the series due to injury that Cunningham was able to quell his ball security issues, but the Pistons did get back on track with a 3-1 comeback to keep their playoff dreams alive. Still, Detroit could have used an extra creator to take some of the playmaking burden off Cunningham’s shoulders at the crucial juncture.
During round two against the Cleveland Cavs, the Pistons ran into more obstacles when Jalen Duren continued to underperform according to his All-Star standard of production of nearly 20 points and 11 boards each night, and Detroit’s lack of perimeter shooting (outside of Duncan Robinson) became glaringly apparent when the Cavs seemed disinterested in closing out on most Piston shooters. As a result, Cleveland parked the bus down low and made both Cunningham and Duren fight for every opportunity they could generate before eventually succumbing to the Cavs in game seven.
Simply put, adding Ayo Dosunmu through free agency would address each of those shortcomings with one swift move. Throughout his five-year NBA career, Dosunmu has acquitted himself as a strong three-point shooter who’s known to play aggressive, tenacious defense on the other end, which fits perfectly with the Pistons’ ethos of defensive integrity. But Dosunmu is much more than just a three-and-D specialist who can contribute on both ends of the floor with on-ball creation ability tucked into a versatile basketball package that includes rebounding and steal generation.
Last season, Dosunmu split time between the Chicago Bulls, which is where he spent his first five years, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, just in time for their playoff run. Dosunmu averaged just under 15 points per game while logging over three rebounds and three assists each night, and he had a particularly well-rounded, prolific showing for the T-Wolves on March 30, which featured a dominant triple-double from the Trade Deadline coup.
For a Detroit squad that requires their guards to lock in defensively, Dosunmu added a steal per game in Minnesota while playing responsible basketball by virtue of his positive 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. These metrics jive with the basketball culture in Detroit that is predicated on creating turnovers on defense that can quickly spin in the other direction for easy transition buckets. Dosunmu has the profile of a player that can either flesh out the stock himself or act as the outlet man when directing traffic for a Detroit fast break when he’s not finishing plays at the rim himself.
But more than anything, Dosunmu would help establish a consistent perimeter threat on the court for the Pistons with Duncan Robinson also shouldering a good deal of the three-point shooting load once again. Dosunmu’s skill set could help open up the floor for Cunningham to operate, which in turn makes Duren’s job even easier down low.
Last season, Dosunmu played out the final season of his three-year, $21 million contract according to Spotrac, so the talented guard is likely due for a sizable payday this offseason, but the Pistons are in position to make some moves with a decent amount of flexibility this summer.
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