After being named the starter for the Chicago Bulls’ debut preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans, it seemed the job was always Ayo Dosunmu‘s to lose. Looking solid in each appearance, Dosunmu held his position firmly through all four games even while the Bulls experimented with what felt like at least a dozen different starting lineups.
Now, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has officially confirmed that Dosunmu will be the full-time starter entering the 2022-23 season. The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry confirmed that Dosunmu’s defensive effort played a large part in the decision, quoting Donovan, “I like having Ayo out there from a defensive standpoint.”
While Alex Caruso and Goran Dragic remained in the running for the job through training camp and preseason play, the coaching staff clearly has confidence that Ayo can effectively run the point entering his sophomore campaign. Caruso and Dragic, on the other hand, will have the opportunity to make a distinct impact with the second unit.
This decision is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for the fans, as the majority of fans overwhelmingly voted for Ayo to be Lonzo Ball‘s temporary replacement in a poll we conducted on Twitter back in September.
With Lonzo Ball set to miss the beginning of the season, who would you like to see replace him as starting point guard for the Bulls?
— Pippen Ain't Easy (@BullsBeatBlog) September 22, 2022
After a spirited contest for the starting job, Ayo Dosunmu will hold down the fort at point guard for the Chicago Bulls until Lonzo Ball returns.
During Chicago’s four-game slate of preseason games, Dosunmu averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 24 minutes per game. Considering he played 34.8 minutes in 40 games as a starter last season, we can expect these stats to look even better when scaled up to his full-time starting role.
Even more importantly, Ayo’s hyper-efficient play bodes well moving forward as a complement to this starting five. Shooting 51.9% from the field and converting on 6-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc, Dosunmu’s ability as a spot-up shooter will be a vital component of his game moving forward. “I shot last year pretty good off the catch, but I wanted to be more efficient there. I want to be a knockdown catch-and-shoot guy,” says Dosunmu.
On the precipice of assuming Lonzo Ball’s starting position, Ayo elaborated on the big impact the incumbent point guard has had during their brief time together on the Bulls during a conversation with NBC Sports Chicago’s Rob Schaefer.
Ayo Dosunmu called Lonzo Ball one of his good friends on Bulls, a key figure in his college-to-NBA transition
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) October 11, 2022
Ball's advice for starting at PG?
"He told me about the pace of the game and understanding my teammates. Vooch, DeMar, Zach. Knowing where they like to get the ball."
It’s unclear just how much time Ball will end up missing this season, but he’ll certainly be a vital component toward any potential postseason push. Until then, however, the Chicago Bulls are in good hands with Ayo Dosunmu manning the point.