Tag: Ayo Dosunmu

Bulls provide inside look at development of Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu

The Chicago Bulls recently gave fans an inside look at Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.

For the Chicago Bulls, this season has been about looking ahead. But not in the sense of rebuilding the roster. They’ve tried to remain competitive while simultaneously building up a young core that should be looked at as the next era of Bulls. And while they’ve been stuck in the middle of the pack in the East, their young guys have played well.

Coby White is in the midst of a breakout season that has him as one of the top candidates for the Most Improved Player award. And for the past couple of months, Ayo Dosunmu has also emerged as a legitimate threat at the guard position.

The Bulls recently provided an inside look at the development of their two young guards on their YouTube channel with an “All Access” video.

Chicago may not be winning as many games as the fanbase was hoping for this year, but White and Dosunmu provide some hope about the future.

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Why Ayo Dosunmu is making a legitimate case for the NBA’s 2024 Most Improved Player award

Dosunmu is making a quiet, legitimate case for MIP.

For much of the Chicago Bulls‘ 2023-24 campaign, injuries and a deep funk derailed what was hoped to be a big season for the Bulls. But then some internal development opened up by some of those injuries put a silver lining on an otherwise lost season, with backup point guard Coby White getting the lion’s share of the attention.

But almost imperceptibly, reserve guard Ayo Dosunmu is making a quiet, legitimate case for the NBA’s 2024 Most Improved Player award, at least according to some analysts of the league. And among those analysts can be counted the folks behind the “Bulls Central” YouTube channel come down on the side of Dosunmu being in the Most Improved Player mix.

That a second-round pick might even be mentioned in such a conversation while still on their rookie deal.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear their case on why it is Dosunmu over White for Most Improved Player this season.

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Several Chicago Bulls get updated overall player ratings for NBA 2K24

And despite how this season has been going might make you think, they are mostly for the better!

The NBA has put the All-Star Game and All-Star Week festivities behind them as the Chicago Bulls and the rest of the league gears up for the stretch run. But there is at least one other annual update to consider for fans of the video game version of the Association.

The folks who keep the NBA 2K franchise running smoothly and up-to-date on the state of the play (and players) of the league have updated overall player ratings around the Association. Those updates include a number of players on the Chicago Bulls roster (and most of them are for good), reflecting internal development on the team.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at which Bulls saw their player ratings change with the new update.

Can Patrick Williams, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu win titles as the Chicago Bulls’ core?

How likely is it that this trio is the future of the Bulls organization?

The injury to starting Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine had a silver lining in that it opened up space for backup guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, as well as forward Patrick Williams to a lesser extent. But how likely is it that this trio is the future of the Bulls organization?

Not especially, if you ask NBA Dot Com’s Sam Smith. “I’m not sure that trio is a championship formula, but you can make a case for a very competitive — yes, we love that word now — core with the trio of Coby, Ayo and Patrick,” he suggests. “Coby, frankly has been the shocker almost like Derrick Rose going from ‘He can’t score’ to MVP.”

“Coby’s been able to put up 30-point games regularly not just with his shooting but some pretty remarkable ball handling to get to the basket and into the mid-range,” writes Smith.

“He missed that potential tying shot in Cleveland the other night,” he recalls, “but that should be the baton handoff from DeRozan to allow Coby to become that guy.”

Then, running with the idea of extending DeRozan, “which most believe they will, have him in a strong support role to those three because he can still get buckets. It just needs to be evolving to a secondary role.”

Not exactly a championship roster, but a competitive one indeed.

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Chicago Bulls youth movement is ‘reason for hope’ this season

Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are providing a bright spot to this Chicago Bulls season.

It’s been a weird season for the Chicago Bulls. They began the year 5-14, and it looked as though their season was done for. However, they’ve since turned things around a bit and have a real chance to make the playoffs. But their lack of movement at the trade deadline has fans a bit upset.

For the third straight year, the Bulls decided not to make any trades at the deadline, instead choosing to push for the postseason with their current roster. And while they have a real shot at making the playoffs, it’s highly unlikely that they are able to make a deep run.

However, amid all the upsetness among fans lies the improvement of Chicago’s youngsters, which KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago called a “reason for hope.”

“Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu entered the All-Star break on a tear,” Johnson wrote.

“Dosunmu sank 14 3-pointers over his final three games and is now shooting a team-high 41.7 percent on career-high volume of 3.3 attempts per game. He’s shooting at that level while also remaining one of the team’s best finishers and push-the-pace players and supplying physical, long-armed defense.

“White’s ascension is drawing notice from an All-Star like Donovan Mitchell, who said “you can see it in his eyes . . . he belongs here” after Wednesday’s game.”

The Bulls have some great youngsters on their hands.

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Ayo Dosunmu ready to do anything he can to help Bulls win

Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu is ready to do whatever it takes to help the team win.

When the Chicago Bulls didn’t make any moves at the deadline, they committed to winning. Not only that, they committed to winning with the players already on the roster. That means guys like DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, and Nikola Vucevic will have to carry the load, but they’ll also need some big-time contributions from the rest of the squad.

Ayo Dosunmu has stepped up in a big way for the Bulls this season, especially over the past 15 games or so. He’s taken on a much larger role for Chicago, and he’s made the most of it. After signing a new contract this summer, he’s been making strides.

The third-year guard is ready to do whatever he can to help the Bulls win. (H/t Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune)

“Everybody wants to be able to go out there and help the team win,” Dosunmu said. “Just being able to have the opportunity, you never take it for granted. This is an opportunity a lot of people wish to have and I’m just really living in the moment to continue to get better, to continue to do whatever I can to help the team.”

Dosunmu will be a huge part of the Bulls’ success moving forward.

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Billy Donovan wants to see consistent greatness from Ayo Dosunmu

Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan wants to see Ayo Dosunmu be conistently great.

As the Chicago Bulls look to push for the postseason, they’ll be depending on the consistent improvement of their entire roster. Obviously, guys like DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic will give them the consistent production they’re used to, but players such as Coby White and Patrick Williams (once they return from injury) will need to keep improving, too.

Another player the Bulls are hoping to see continuous improvement from is Ayo Dosunmu. The Chicago native has been improving a ton this season, and heading into the break, he’s been on a tear. But head coach Billy Donovan wants to set a high standard.

Donovan said that he wants to see consistent greatness from Dosunmu. (H/t Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times)

“Can he put his fingerprints on the game? We talk to our young guys a lot about that stuff,” Donovan said.” I think that’s what these young guys have to fight for where you play 10 games, OK one or two you play poorly, but the other eight you play inside of a box and you’re pretty consistent and responsible, reliable in those situations.”

Over the Bulls’ last 15 games, Dosunmu is averaging 15.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 58.0% from the field and 53.0% from behind the three-point line.

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Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are proving the Chicago Bulls have a bright future

The promise of two young Bulls guards has come to light as a silver lining of sorts.

The Chicago Bulls made no moves at the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline, but none of this is likely a surprise to you, dear reader, as you get ready to watch the video embedded below. You are here because of the promise of two young Bulls guards that have come to light as a silver lining for the missed time of veterans like Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine.

And potential diamonds in the rough they may be, shining a light on the strengths of the team’s internal development squad. But how does the found money that is guards Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White impact the plans of the team for the offseason and beyond — especially in light of their deadline (non) decisions?

Haize, the host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast, took some time to talk us through such a situation on a recent episode.

Check it out on the clip embedded above!

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Ayo Dosunmu breaks down Bulls win over Hawks after career night

After the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Atlanta Hawks, Ayo Dosunmu broke things down.

On Monday night, the Chicago Bulls were in Georgia to take on the Atlanta Hawks. They were looking to bounce back after a tough overtime loss to the Orlando Magic, and they did just that. Chicago walked away with a 136-126 win over the Hawks in what was their highest-scoring affair of the season.

But the Bulls weren’t the only team to set a high mark in this one. Third-year guard Ayo Dosunmu set his career-high in points, pouring in 29 while shooting 12-of-18 from the field and 5-of-7 from behind the three-point line. He also had seven assists, two rebounds, one steal, and one block.

After the game, Dosunmu spoke about the Bulls’ process en route to victory in Atlanta.

“We didn’t want to make it a shootout, but we wanted to play fast,” Dosunmu said via ESPN. “Even when we scored, they get it out fast. We wanted to go blow-for-blow with them. We wanted to do our best and guard on defense, but the way the game was going, both teams were scoring and then we got some big meaningful stops down the stretch.”

Chicago’s next game will be in Ohio against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

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Ayo Dosunmu credits Nikola Vucevic for clutch shot in Bulls win over Trail Blazers

After the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Ayo Dosunmu credited Nikola Vucevic for his clutch late-game three.

The Chicago Bulls traveled to the Pacific Northwest on Sunday night to take on the Portland Trail Blazers. However, a season’s worth of struggles for Portland didn’t prevent them from keeping things close. Chicago led for most of the game, but Portland took the lead late in the third and made it a one-possession game toward the end of the fourth, too.

Anfernee Simons nailed a three with 4:34 left to bring the Trail Blazers within three points, but Ayo Dosunmu made sure to quell any hopes of a Portland comeback. He matched Simons’ three with one of his own, ensuring a Chicago victory.

After the game, Dosunmu credited Nikola Vucevic for the play, noting that it was the big man who trusted him enough to make the pass.

“Anytime you get a win, it always feels good,” Dosunmu said via ESPN. “It just feels good because of the work I put into it, [Vucevic] trusting me, he could have easily just shot it, because he’s a veteran and an All-Sar, but he trusted in me to make the right play.”

Dosunmu finished the game with 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three blocks while shooting 5-of-12 from the field and 1-of-4 from behind the three-point line.

Meanwhile, Vucevic put up 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three blocks while shooting 6-of-14 from the floor.

That said, it was a well-rounded effort by the Bulls that got the job done, as six different players put up at least 10 points, led by DeMar DeRozan with 20.

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