Dosunmu continued to display an evolving game in Friday’s win over the Wizards, both offensively and defensively. The one trait he’s continued to show the last few years? Playing winning basketball.
Ayo Dosunmu has proven to be a quick learner throughout his rookie campaign.
As far as Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal was concerned, maybe too quick.
After getting called for two traveling violations during Friday’s eventual 130-122 Bulls win, Dosunmu said that Beal offered up some on-the-court advice to him.
“After the travel, the play before I scored, [Beal] was like ‘Just go deliberately. Deliberately go one way and then just get into your shot. Don’t think about it, just take it and drive and get to your spot,’ ‘’ Dosunmu said. “The next play I did it on him.’’
That’s why the base line jumper by Dosunmu left Beal shaking his head.
“[Beal] was like, ‘I didn’t say do it on me, I just said do it in the future,’ ‘’ Dosunmu said.
Not bad, Rook.
“He was traveling, he got called for two travels in the corner because he was very indecisive,” Beal told the Washington reporters. “As a young player, you’ve got to kind of know what you’re about to do before you receive the ball. I looked at Coach [Billy] Donovan and he was telling him to just catch and go. And it’s funny, I told him the same thing. I was like, ‘You just gotta catch and rip, don’t shuffle your feet. You catch and shoot or you catch and go.’ ‘’
Dosunmu definitely went, as the basket was just two of the 18 points the former Morgan Park High School standout had in the win.
It impressed Beal, and left an impression on Dosunmu.
“That probably was my first time [an opposing] vet has done that,” Dosunmu said. “But it just shows what kind of player and person he is, also. He saw something that could have been corrected, and he saw something in me that he could help me correct, and he gave me advice.
“I think that’s just cool of him, and I appreciate that because him being one of the best scorers in this league, getting advice from him, that’s how the trend continues.’’
Not the only trend that Dosunmu has been riding.
Over the last three basketball seasons for the combo guard, he really doesn’t understand anything but playing winning basketball.
Dosunmu went 21-10 for the Illini two seasons ago, and led them to a 24-7 mark last season. Then he was drafted by the Bulls in the second round, and all the hometown kid has done is made good, with the Bulls atop the Eastern Conference at 26-10.
That’s 71-27 (.724 winning percentage) his last three years of basketball.
Crazy, especially for the few Bulls players that have been a part of this organization and seen what a dumpster fire it resembled far too often.
Not that there’s many of those holdovers left, with Zach LaVine obviously the key witness to the most failure that’s taken place, followed by Coby White and Patrick Williams.
That’s it.
White, who was drafted No. 7 overall back in 2019, saw the Bulls go 22-43 in his rookie campaign, and then last season finish a disappointing 31-41 with a team that had playoff aspirations.
And while White expected this latest version of the Bulls to be a playoff contender back in training camp, he admittedly didn’t see a .722 winning percentage coming.
“I ain’t gonna lie and sit here and be like [I knew] at the beginning of the year we’d be number one in the East,’’ White said. “I knew we’d be really good from training camp. We’ve got a team filled with winning players and hungry players that want to win.
“My first two years were different from this. It’s been fun to win again and like I always say, we’re just a bunch of guys who love to hoop, and love each other on and off the court; so we get it done.’’
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/3t9FL8r
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