Bulls: 3 reasons Ayo Dosunmu should start if Lonzo isn’t ready for opener

1. Ayo performs better in the spotlight

As previously discussed, Dosunmu was phenomenal as the star of the show at Illinois. However, there’s only so far a collegiate resume can take you. As we’ve seen with former Bulls lottery picks Doug McDermott (2014’s Naismith and AP Player of the Year) and Denzel Valentine (2016’s AP Player of the Year), even the most decorated college players oftentimes struggle to adapt and make the transition to the NBA.

Fortunately, Dosunmu has shown more promise in just one season than either McDermott or Valentine displayed in a combined six and a half seasons with the Bulls. Never one to shy away from the big moments, Ayo has racked up enough clutch moments to warrant entire montages dedicated to his scoring in close games throughout college.

His show-stopping ability didn’t magically disappear after his time at Illinois, as he’s continued on to prove he can win NBA games with his offense…

… and his defense.

What’s most impressive about these highlights is that he doesn’t for a second hesitate in the moment. With a 3-point lead in a must-win game, it would have been incredibly easy to default to DeRozan on the last possession against Indiana. Instead, he saw an opportunity and immediately pounced on it. It would have also been the simple option to call for a double team or to just allow an active defender like Javonte Green to guard Atlanta’s Trae Young, but Ayo’s competitiveness helped push him to lock down a genuine superstar talent.

This was a reoccurring case all throughout last season, as Dosunmu dominated head-to-head matchups against the top rookie guards from his draft class. In direct matchups against Cade Cunningham, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Suggs, Dosunmu looked like the better player while on the court and proved he could really become something in this league.

Dosunmu’s ability to rise to the challenge and remain level-headed even in the face of early success gives distinct memories of former Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler. In the event Lonzo isn’t ready to make a return in time for the start of the regular season, it’s for these reasons that I firmly believe Ayo Dosunmu should be the starting point guard moving forward.