Bulls point guard Ayo Dosunmu needs to find his way back on offense
Ayo Dosunmu lost his starting job to Patrick Beverley last month, but now coach Billy Donovan wants to make sure that Dosunmu doesn’t lose his way, especially with his offensive development.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
Playing time has dried up a bit for Ayo Dosunmu since the Bulls added veteran point guard Patrick Beverley, so his numbers were expected to dip.
But there’s no question that the former Morgan Park standout is trying to find his way on the -offensive end.
“I’ve seen a little of this with younger players, where we just played Sacramento and I saw it with Domantas [Sabonis],’’ coach Billy Donovan said Saturday. “He started off really well his rookie year, shooting the basketball. He leveled off, people kind of get a better feel of him. You have to adjust from there, and obviously Domantas has. He’s an All-Star and progressed incredibly well with the work he’s put in.’’
Then again, Sabonis was the 11th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Dosunmu was a second-rounder, grabbed 38th overall.
There are some nights he’s starting to look like it after a stellar rookie season.
“I do think [for Ayo] more tape, more video, people getting accustomed to him, knowing him, how they’re guarding him,’’ Donovan said. “He’s going to have to go through it. I saw it with Coby [White], I saw it with Patrick [Williams]. There’s always that point and time where they kind of take off. Then there’s that come back to earth, maybe where people figure them out, see different things, and now they’re being guarded differently.
“Ayo has always been really competitive defensively. His defense has gotten better from a year ago, but clearly his offense, he’s trying to figure some of those things out. I just think he has to go through it. He’s got to find himself out to the other side.’’
Dosunmu’s three-point shot has always been streaky. That has been on full display again. It’s the decision-making on offense that Donovan wants to see improvement in.
Some of it is just feel that will come with experience, but Donovan wants to see his young guard go through his decisions quicker, especially in the offense the Bulls run.
“Making quick decisions on closeouts … when to shoot, pass, drive, all those kinds of things,’’ Donovan said. “The more he’s in there, the better he’ll get.’’
Still not ready
The chances of Javonte Green being ready to play Saturday against the Heat were slim.
Slim checked out Saturday morning when the forward showed up to the Advocate Center and had soreness in his right knee again.
While it wasn’t a setback, it did change the timetable a bit, especially after Green went through a full-contact practice Friday.
“He’s moving in the right direction,’’ Donovan said. “There’s no question. With not a lot of games left, there’s that line that the medical guys are always going up against where they just don’t want to push him too hard. He certainly has to show improvements as it relates to contact and those situations.’’
Donovan is hopeful that Green could return by the end of next week.
In his bag
Veteran DeMar DeRozan suddenly has increased his three-point volume the last month, and Donovan is all for it.
DeRozan averaged about 1.5 three-point attempts for most of the season, but that has almost doubled since March, sitting at 2.9 attempts. He’s connecting at 50%.
“DeMar has always been to me a good three-point shooter,’’ Donovan said. “He’s selective on the ones he takes. I like when he shoots the ball. When he gets those catch-and-shoot opportunities, it’s good for us.’’