One player that the Chicago Bulls fan base was waiting to see what type of impact he could make this season, but had to wait a long while for, was the rookie former Kansas Jayhawks star point guard Devon Dotson. As one of the players holding a two-way contract slot on the Bulls this season, along with second-year shooting guard/wing Adam Mokoka, Dotson didn’t look like he would get much playing time out of the gates.
Yet, when first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls ran into depth problems in the backcourt rotation, they didn’t really turn to Dotson for help in a bigger role. Instead, it was the former Villanova Wildcats star point guard Ryan Arcidiacono that was getting more playing time in the absence of players like second-year point guard Coby White, shooting guard Zach LaVine, and combo guard Tomas Satoransky at different points of the regular season.
While Dotson has only played in nine games and 26 total minutes so far this season, Arcidiacono has played in 42 games and 420 total minutes on the floor. Arcidiacono is the more proven option of these two Bulls point guards, but Dotson likely has the higher ceiling.
Dotson didn’t get a whole lot of playing time for Donovan and the Bulls in their big May 7 win at home at the United Center over the Boston Celtics, but he did make a big impact in the minutes that he did get. He tied a season-high for four points in this game, but that came in just under two minutes played in garbage time in the fourth quarter in this win.
Chicago Bulls getting efficient limited contributions from Devon Dotson
He shot a perfect 2-of-2 from the field, to go along with one steal, and no turnovers. That now gives Dotson a dozen total points on the season, on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. He’s also registered three total rebounds, three assists, three steals, no blocks, and no turnovers.
In very limited playing time so far this season, Dotson proved that he should be able to contribute in something of a third unit role with the Bulls. That is definitely something to consider for this coaching staff and front office heading into the offseason.
If the Bulls don’t want to bring back guards like veteran Garrett Temple, Denzel Valentine, Arcidiacono, etc. this offseason, then bringing back Doston on a minimum deal might be the right move.
In fact, Dotson is now leading the Bulls in a few key advanced metrics, despite the limited playing time. He’s registered an impressive team-high 7.4 box plus/minus rating, sparkling 136 offensive rating, .232 win shares per 48 minutes, and a 23.7 player efficiency rating.
I know that Dotson is working off of a very limited role with the Bulls during his rookie campaign, but he’s clearly made a case for himself to get a bigger role in the near future. With the Bulls only having five games left in this regular season slate, it might have to wait until the 2021-22 campaign to get more playing time, though.
Dotson and the Bulls now hold a record of 28-39 following their dominant 121-99 win over the Celtics at home on May 7. Next up for the Bulls is a meeting on the road in the Motor City with the divisional foe Detroit Pistons on May 9.