It looks like Ayo Dosunmu is going to start as the full-time point guard for the Chicago Bulls this season.
Sometimes players get their chance to shine at the expense of other talented players. This has happened throughout the history of sports. Drew Bledsoe gets injured and in steps some guy named Tom Brady. While he might not end up being as good as the legendary quarterback, former Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu is going to get his chance to start for the Chicago Bulls once again.
When Lonzo Ball came to the Bulls, he was looked at as the starting point guard moving forward. Chicago would wisely draft Ayo in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, though. They needed more depth at the No. 1 spot, and Ayo would provide that to the franchise.
The drafting of Ayo is looking like it is paying off. With Ball injuring his knee recently and going through surgery, he is out for, at least, multiple months per Shams Charania. Now that Ball is out for a while, on Tuesday, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said that Ayo was going to be the starting point guard for the franchise in the regular season.
Billy Donovan says Ayo Dosunmu will be the Bulls' starting point guard in the regular season.
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) October 12, 2022
This is not the first time Ayo Dosunmu is going to start for the Chicago Bulls.
While it is sad that Ball can’t manage to get healthy and I wish him nothing but the best, this is also exciting for Ayo all at the same time. He is going to get his chance to shine on a fully healthy Bulls roster.
Last season, Ayo received a ton of playing time due to Ball being injured. As a rookie, he would see action in all but five games. His minute really ramped up in the second half of the season as well.
Ayo would end up averaging just over 34 minutes per game in the final 41 games of the 2021-22 campaign. During that time, he would average 11 points, 5.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. He would also shoot 52.1% from the field, 35.7% from three-point range, and 77.5% from the charity stripe in this 41-game stretch.
With Ball being out for an extended period of time, Ayo is ready to take the reins. He is a great player who can do a little bit of everything on the court. He is also someone who makes his teammates better, as we all witnessed at Illinois.
In year two, look for Ayo to blossom into a player who is averaging somewhere in the ballpark of 13 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and two steals per game. That is exactly what the Bulls need to complement the star talent on the roster.