Chicago Bulls: Why Ayo Dosunmu can contribute in his rookie season

Why Ayo Dosunmu can contribute for the Chicago Bulls: 1. Perimeter Defense

Ayo Dosunmu is a second-round pick. That means his experience will be vastly different than players selected in the lottery. Guys who are taken with one of the first fourteen selections are normally allowed more room for error than typical rookies. If he takes a bad shot, he is yelled at from the bench but he stays in the game. The front office is more concerned with their prize possession getting as many reps as possible than they are with their head coach proving a point.

The implications for Dosunmu are that he will have to earn his stripes on defense. Before he was known as one of the best mid-range players in the NBA, Kawhi Leonard was known as the best defender in the San Antonio Spurs organization. This earned him minutes on the floor while the offensive load was carried by Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker. Ayo Dosunmu will be in a similar situation this season.

The bulk of Chicago’s scoring will come from Zach LaVine, Nikola Vučević and DeMar DeRozan. Dosunmu will be yanked out of the game immediately if he shoots a contested shot while LaVine is open. His best bet is to learn from Lonzo Ball, who is an exceptional perimeter defender. If he does that, Coach Donovan will find a way to keep him in the rotation.