“He’s got a huge ceiling in front of him” – Reading Eagle

Every Chicago Bulls game at the United Center begins the same way, with a wild ovation as the announcer chants “Frommmm Chicago” to welcome second-year point guard Ayo Dosunma to the court.

Dosunmu’s entry into the NBA was more rushed than planned. In his second season, the 22-year-old is back playing in the Bulls’ offense with Lonzo Ball injured.

But after being thrown into the deep end as a rookie, it’s clear that Dosunmu has transformed from stopper to difference maker this season.

“He’s got a huge ceiling in front of him,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He has a huge, huge growth opportunity ahead of him.”

Dosunmu spent the summer in the Advocate Center gym working with his father and the Bulls’ coaching staff to improve his shooting form. While shooting above 50% as a rookie, Dosunmu wanted to speed up his release to be quicker off the dribble and catch-and-shoot opportunities.

The resulting confidence in his shot only helps Dosunmu make the big plays.

“I’m in a state where even if I miss it, I feel good,” Dosunmu said. “I’m just continuing to put in the same work that I put in, continuing to make progress. The coaching development staff did a great job with that, watching film with me, continuing to encourage me in that area to see me put in the work. So now it’s all about showing it.”

Dosunmu showed it in the first weeks of the season.

While his shooting is on par with last season — 51% at 12.6 ppg compared to 52% at 8.8 ppg — it’s his 3-point shooting that shows the biggest jump. Dosunmu is shooting 45% from beyond the arc, up seven points from 2021-22.

Although it’s still early in the season, Dosunmu’s improvement in long-range accuracy is a promising sign.

“He hit the ball well from the corner,” Donovan said. “I feel confident with the work he’s put in, the training he’s put in. Every player is going to have good nights and bad nights, so a lot of it is just going to be based on how he puts in the work every day.”

While improved perimeter shooting adds a layer to Dosunmu’s offense, the guard’s game still revolves around rebounding and running the offense.

Donovan urges Dosunma to attack the rim. The Bulls feed off the aggression of a young guard who can force defenses to collapse and create space for Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.

“We tried to create distance for him (Dosunmu) when he comes down the floor where he has room to do that and be aggressive,” Donovan said. “It’s something he puts a lot of time and attention and focus on. If it doesn’t help (him), it will give (him) a pass to the next option. So we need him to attack.”

When Goran Dragic arrived in Chicago, Dosunmu immediately sought him out before training camp, spending 20 straight minutes picking the veteran guard’s brain for the experience he’s gained from nearly two decades as a pro.

This desire to learn has been Dosunmu’s hallmark since the early days of his Bull career. He still called himself a “rookie” until he took the court in his first game of the season. Dosunmu approaches its second season with the same curiosity as its first.

“I definitely still have a lot of room for improvement, a lot of ways where I can get better,” Dosunmu said. “I’m learning game by game. This is really my main thing. I just want to keep learning.”

Yet despite his constant curiosity, Dosunmu’s teammates have noticed a change in the guard this season — more confident, more vocal. Dosunmu regularly grabs teammates — from rookies like Dahlen Terry to veterans like Andre Drummond — for pep talks and in-game advice.

​Although Dosunmu emerged as a leader last season, LaVine said Dosunmu’s leadership should be expected to grow after shedding his rookie nickname.

“Experience is the best teacher,” Lavin said. “Coming out last year, being put in that position and then thriving in it, the experience is the best for all of us. In our careers, we benefit most from experiences and opportunities.”

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