Chicago Bulls: Ayo Dosunmu quickly getting a feel on defense

There was a big difference in what the rookie point guard Ayo Dosunmu showed for the Chicago Bulls Las Vegas Summer League between his debut and the second game this week. The former star junior Illinois Fighting Illini guard and the Bulls 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft had a slow Summer League debut. But it felt like both the rhythm and urgency picked up for Dosunmu in his second Summer League outing.

The pace Dosunmu played at in the second game for the Bulls largely reflected the change in pace and efficiency for this team as a whole. Dosunmu, second-year forward Patrick Williams, and the Bulls showed a completely different level of urgency in the Aug. 10 win over the San Antonio Spurs than in the prior game. The Bulls looked flat in the Summer League opener back on Aug. 9, which resulted in a double-digit loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Dosunmu was part of a trio of Bulls players that really stood out down the stretch in a huge comeback win over the Spurs on the night of Aug. 10. P-Will, Dosunmu, and rookie big man Marko Simonovic came through in a big way for the Bulls to nab this 22-point second half comeback win over the Spurs.

This was the first Summer League win for the Bulls this year.

Ayo Dosunmu leads the Chicago Bulls defensive efforts in the Summer League win over the Spurs

Where Dosunmu really made an impact for the Bulls in this win over the Spurs, though, was on the defensive end of the floor. He made strides in his offensive rhythm, but you can’t ignore his defensive impact here.

Dosunmu registered a game-high four steals and had four defensive boards in this outing. He also registered 10 points, two assists, and just one turnover. And Dosunmu shot 4-of-9 from the field, didn’t have any attempts from beyond the arc, and shot 2-of-3 from the free-throw line.

That aforementioned trio of Dosunmu, Simonovic, and P-Will, were the only Bulls players to score in double figures. But it was P-Will that put up a whopping game-high 30 points in this 22-point comeback win.

Dosunmu got involved to really disrupt the Spurs offensive flow in the second half. It seemed like he was always getting a hand/arm in the passing lane to wreak havoc and create turnovers. He also ran well in transition when he was able to force steals.

If head coach Billy Donovan is planning to run this team with some pace and pressure on each end of the floor heading into next season, that should really play to Dosunmu’s benefit. He’s already showing the ability to standout on defense and run efficiently with a high-level of pace on offense and in transition.

The Bulls now own a record of 1-1 following this Summer League win over the Spurs on Aug. 10. Next up for Dosunmu and the Bulls in the middle of this Summer League slate is a meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Aug. 12.