The shots will fall.
That’s way down on the list of concerns for Ayo Dosunmu these days.
Emerging as the Bulls best two-way player, continue being looked at as a vocal leader, hey, winning some meaningful games … that’s what the fourth-year guard is holding onto as priorities. His shot?
“Take the shots when they’re there,” Dosunmu said. “I understand that I put a lot of work into my jump shot. I’m not really worried about that. When it’s all said and done, I know that I’ll be at a certain percentage. That’s typically how it goes when you put the work in.”
And the work continues being put in.
Before practice, after practice, on his own at night. According to Nikola Vucevic, the two players you can always count on finding at the Advocate Center anytime of the day are Coby White and Dosunmu.
That’s why Wednesday’s loss in Orlando offered up some vindication for Dosunmu.
On his way to a team-high 21-point night, how about done on 10-of-12 shooting (83.3%) and 1-of-3 from three?
Even with that highly efficient night, Dosunmu was still at 47.9% from the field this season, and a career-worst 28.2% from three-point range. To add perspective to that, Dosunmu shot 40.3% from three last season and was a career 36.1% three-point shooter.
That’s why he chooses to believe the numbers on the back of his basketball card over what he’s done in just 20 games in the 2024-25 campaign.
And so does his coach.
The Bulls are playing a much different style of basketball this season and have led the league in pace most of the year. With Lonzo Ball barely playing and Josh Giddey just not as quick as Dosunmu, someone has to ignite that pacing.
That’s where Dosunmu comes in. He’s the engine.
“I’ve put a lot on him as far as the pace-setting for us because he’s so fast coming down the floor,” Billy Donovan said of Dosunmu’s changing role. “Guys are running with him and he’s pushing it ahead, spraying it around, he’s getting into the teeth of the defense, flattening the defense out, but there’s probably been a sacrifice a little bit there with his scoring where he hasn’t had as many opportunities.”
Somewhat accurate.
Dosunmu has started seven games but is averaging a career-high 29.2 minutes per game. He’s still getting the same amount of shot attempts and threes up as last season, but his shot chart profile has slightly changed. Because he’s playing on the ball a bit more, he’s not hiding out in the corner for the corner threes as much.
But what Donovan admires about Dosunmu? None of that matters to him. Whatever job he’s asked to do, he does.
“I just want to keep pushing the pace,” Dosunmu said. “That’s how Coach wants us to play, play fast, wants us to get threes up, wants us to spray it around, play unselfish, and I’m asked to do that, I’ll do that. If I’m asked to play defense, I’ll do that too. Whatever it takes.”
Don’t expect that mentality to change, either. With Alex Caruso moving on to Oklahoma City in the Giddey trade, the Bulls don’t really have anyone willing to do the dirty work. That player that will ugly up a game without concerns that it doesn’t appear in a box score.
Dosunmu submitted his resume for that job on Day 1 of fall camp.
“For sure,” Dosunmu said of accepting that role. “Because at the end of the day that’s how you stick around this league for a long time and that’s what winning players do.”