Getty Ayo Dosunmu and Javonte Green celebrate during a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers.
While injuries definitely took the wind out of the Chicago Bulls‘ sails last season — undercutting a team that bore the look of a surprise title contender — things could have been far worse for the 46-36 club.
As much as any of the Association’s snake-bitten squads, the Bulls were able to utilize a “next man up” mentality to keep themselves firmly entrenched in the playoff picture.
For his part, DeMar DeRozan had arguably the best individual campaign for a Bulls player since Derrick Rose’s MVP year. Meanwhile, a slew of support players took their own games to a higher level. Guys like Javonte Green, Derrick Jones Jr (when he was healthy), et al. did some things they had never managed before.
That said, perhaps no player met the moment in the face of wild circumstances like rookie Ayo Dosunmu, who may just be on the verge of a major breakout ahead of his sophomore season in the Windy City.
Dosunmu Answered the Call
Lonzo Ball’s season being done in by a January meniscus tear was a fatal blow for the Bulls’ championship hopes. The veteran floor general had been one of the team’s most impactful players, boasting a net rating of 3.1 (the No. 2 mark teamwide among major minute-getters).
And while Dosunmu fell short in his own bid to swing the scoreboard to such a degree, he hardly looked the part of a rookie second-rounder when he found himself thrust into the starting five when Ball went out. Instead, he looked like someone who belonged with the first-teamers.
Over his final 41 appearances in ’21-22, Dosunmu averaged 11.0 points, a team-best 5.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per contest. Along the way, he connected on 52.1% of his field-goal attempts overall and 35.2% from three-point range.
It was clear from the early going that the Bulls had stumbled onto something with the Morgan Park product, though. After Dosunmu helped secure a jaw-dropping, comeback win over the Boston Celtics in November, head coach Billy Donovan was effusive in his praise of the youngster.
“He’s got a certain kind of makeup that i think is really, really special. He’s like ultra, ultra competitive and he has unbelievable confidence and belief in himself. But it’s not like, cross the line arrogant,” Donovan said. “I think that’s really a hard combination, you know, where you believe in yourself but you come across that you know you have all the answers.
“He’s not that way. He just is fearless.”
Taking It Up a Notch in Year Two
Dosunmu went viral over the weekend for a series of social media posts depicting his shredded physique. Very clearly, he’s doing what he can to ensure that he builds upon the success of last season in a big, bad way.
That commitment to himself and his game, as well as the fearlessness described by Donovan, are attributes that bode well where a potential year-two jump is concerned. Moreover, there’s a better-than-avaerage chance that the Bulls will have to lean on Dosunmu more than ever next season.
Uncertainty abounds regarding the status of Ball’s knee. The former No. 2 overall pick may be ready for opening night, or he may still be on the sidelines — only time will tell. Additionally, Coby White’s future with the franchise is equally uncertain and free-agent signee Goran Dragic is older than the hills.
At minimum, Dosunmu is going to be a big part of the Bulls’ rotation. If things end up breaking a certain way, however, he may just be this year’s Tyrese Maxey.
READ NEXT: