Illinois Basketball: Ayo Dosunmu staying steady in latest NBA Mock Draft
It is NBA Draft week, and the Illinois basketball program is set to have someone selected for the first time since 2012.
The Illini have gone through one of the worst draft droughts in team history, but that will soon end with Ayo Dosunmu going somewhere in one of the two rounds.
Back in May, Bleacher Report had an NBA Mock Draft that had Ayo going to the Denver Nuggets at pick No. 25. In the roughly two months since that mock draft was released, not much has changed. Ayo seems to be widely looked at as a back-end first-round pick.
In the most recent CBS Sports mock draft, they too have Ayo going at the No. 25 pick in the first round. Since the playoffs have finally concluded, the draft order is officially in place. This time Ayo would be heading to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Illinois basketball legend would fit in well with the Clippers organization.
Joining the Clippers would be a good move for Ayo considering the possibility for him to win early on in his career. If Kawhi Leonard didn’t get hurt this postseason, it might have been the Clippers who were facing the Milwaukee Bucks in the Finals.
Ayo could come into the Clippers club and not be expected to produce as a starter right away. He could come off the bench and give them some spare minutes while getting the speed of the game. If nothing else, he will add to the already potent Clippers offense.
Last season, the Clippers shot 38.1-percent from three-point range. They are a high-volume three-point shooting team, as they were the No. 5 team in the NBA in three-point attempts. Ayo would fit into this run-and-gun offense well. He focused on his three-point shooting this past season and was able to shoot 39-percent from distance.
Ayo can play the No. 1 or No. 2 guard role on the Clippers as well. This is great for this franchise considering they need some guidance at the No. 1 spot. But, if Leonard does end up leaving the team this offseason or next, then there is a chance for Ayo to slide over and take the role left by Leonard.
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The Clippers are one of the best teams suited for taking Ayo in the NBA Draft. I would love to see him go to a team that can win right away but would also use him on a nightly basis. The Clippers would be that team.