NEW YORK – Ayo Dosunmu knows his value.
More importantly, so does his organization.
So while the Bulls guard still plays with a chip on his shoulder, it’s not there because he feels like he should be a starter but is coming off the bench. It’s there because it’s always been there.
“Yeah, I believe I’m a starting-caliber player in this league, (Donovan) does also, but whatever it may be to help the team win that’s the route I go,” Dosunmu said on Friday. “So it’s each and every day continue to get better, lifting weights, working on my game, ultimately to help the team because if we can have six-starting caliber players then it helps the team at the end of the day, so I’m looking at it in a bigger mindset and not just being single minded.”
Fitting that Dosunmu continued to display that mindset on the same night the Bulls were playing the Nets.
Billy Donovan had point guard Dennis Schroder in Oklahoma City when he coached the Thunder, and while Schroder had starting ability – evident yet again with him in the starting five for the Nets – he had to come off the bench in what was a crowded backcourt.
“Dennis Schroder, who is having a great year so far, he had to come off the bench and sacrifice,” Donovan pointed out. “He’s definitely a starter and been a starter his whole career.
“There’s no question in my mind that Ayo can be a starter. The one thing I’ve continued to see from him is the growth.”
According to Donovan, the best thing that happened to Dosunmu after a breakout rookie year was he came back a starter in Year 2 and struggled enough to lose his spot by the end of that season.
“I think he got really humbled,” Donovan said. “You come out of that rookie year where maybe you exceed expectations and you get that, ‘I’ve kind of got this figured out,’ type of thing. I think when he went through that second year it really made him look at areas he had to get better, and the work he’s put into summers back-to-back have been really good.
“The thing with him, and Coby (White) has it too, is both of them are very internally driven. Like he doesn’t need to be motivated. He’s internally motivated.”
The good news for Dosunmu is he has starting experience. In the 37 games he started last season, he averaged 15.4 points per game and shot 41.7% from three. With the Bulls always looking to shop players this season, the line can move and Dosunmu might get that starting spot back again.
“I’m just continuing to try and mold myself into one of the two-way players in this league,” Dosunmu added. “That’s the route I’m on. That’s why I have a chip on my shoulder personally, to get the most I can get out of myself.”
Go time
Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams each showed up on the injury report as questionable with bum shoulders, while Jalen Smith was dealing with soreness in his left knee.
All three made it through pregame warmups without setbacks, however, and played against the Nets. The Bulls don’t play again until Monday, so Saturday will be used as an off day to heal up.
Not happening
Several publications have thrown out a scenario in which the Nets would trade Ben Simmons to the Bulls for Zach LaVine, but it’s a complete fairytale.
The money for this season works, and that’s it. Simmons is in the final year of his contract, while LaVine has this season and two more. The Nets are in rebuild mode, not getting bogged down with another bad contract.