One of the biggest bright spots for the Chicago Bulls this season has been the emergence of rookie Ayo Dosunmu, a Chicago native that played his college ball at the University of Illinois. It didn’t take long for Dosunmu to crack the rotation and earn key minutes this season. And with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso both sidelined, Dosunmu has earned a spot in the starting lineup.
And he’s taken full advantage of it.
Dosunmu is averaging 8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3 assists per game this season while also playing really good defense. Sitting here in February, one has to wonder how he fell to the second round and his hometown team as he’s been one of the best rookies all season long. Now, Dosunmu is getting some praise from a national NBA analyst.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connell had a really good breakdown on Dosunmu in his latest piece on Monday, showing just how good he has been and how he’s executed the offense:
Dosunmu is flourishing in the first five, averaging 11.8 points on 42.1 percent 3-point shooting with 7.1 assists and only 1.8 turnovers in 16 starts while playing stellar defense. Over a month ago, I raved about Dosunmu’s defense, spot-up shooting, and passing for this column and said that he could grab one of the last spots on my second team All-Rookie. But at this point, he is a lock and could push for a spot on the first team if his scoring opportunities continue to increase now that Zach LaVine is also sidelined by a left knee injury.
Dosunmu is only 22 years old but plays with a veteran’s poise so Bulls head coach Billy Donovan uses him in a primary playmaking role. He can reliably facilitate in the pick-and-roll and limit turnovers—a rarity for a rookie!
As we hit the All-Star break here in the NBA season, Dosunmu is playing with a lot of confidence for a team that is right there near the top of the Eastern Conference.
And one has to wonder if the Bulls did get the biggest steal of the draft.
Make sure to check out our Chicago Bulls forum for the latest on the team.
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