Not only does Ayo Dosunmu enjoy the matchup with Atlanta’s Trae Young, he’s actually dominated it this season. Not having him available for Wednesday’s play-in game would be a key loss.
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It would seem to be a bad time of year to be undermanned.
Then again, it is only the Hawks that are coming to town on Wednesday. The same Atlanta team that closed out the regular season losers of six straight.
So, if Billy Donovan has to go without Ayo Dosunmu (quad contusion) and Andre Drummond (left ankle) yet again, there’s still plenty of ammo left in the box for the coach considering the opponent.
“Ayo is having issues with the running and the starting and the sprinting and the stopping,” Donovan told reporters on Sunday. “There’s been some discomfort there for him. He has to get over that hurdle. I think there is hope he can clear those hurdles.”
Especially because Dosunmu will have several days to do just that.
The former Illinois standout originally suffered the injury in Orlando last week and missed the final four games of the regular season. No biggie? Not really. Dosunmu not only gives Donovan backcourt options, but he gives Hawks guard Trae Young fits.
In the two games against Atlanta earlier this season in which Young was healthy and playing, Young went a combined 5-of-23 from three and 9-of-31 from the field. Dosunmu wasn’t the only defender on him obviously, but saw heavy minutes guarding Young.
“My length is able to affect him,” Dosunmu said after their last meeting in February. “But he’s a good player, and he brings the competitiveness out. I love competing against him because every play you’ve got to be ready.”
The other injury concerning Donovan is Drummond, who “still hasn’t been able to do much with the ankle.”
Not only is Drummond a key back-up, but like Dosunmu has been a Hawks killer this season, averaging 14.7 points and 18 rebounds in three games. That included a Dec. 26 showcase for Drummond in which he started for an injured Nikola Vucevic and scored 24 points with 25 rebounds.
“I don’t know where he’ll be at and if he’ll be able to do anything.” Donovan continued. “I think there’s some hope that Ayo can participate in some practices before Atlanta. But until he gets past that point, I don’t know. I would just say this: Nobody has told me those guys are definitely in or out for Atlanta. It’s one of those things that’s up in the air.”
Talking point?
It’s been pretty well documented that rock bottom for this Bulls season was after a humiliating 27-point loss in Boston back in late November that sent Donovan’s crew to 5-14 on the year.
With the team finishing the year 39-43 and with a chance to reach the playoffs if they can get out of the play-in round, Donovan credited his group.
“I would say at that point after that Boston game, I didn’t even know if we’d have a chance to play after (Sunday’s Knicks game),” Donovan said. “So I think it’s a tribute to what those guys did. But we also paid the price of those 14, 15 games where we didn’t play good enough basketball which has put us in the situation where we have to earn our way into the playoffs.
“But I really appreciate what those guys have done because of what we’ve had to endure and what we’ve had to overcome. It’s not where we certainly want to be. But I will say this: It could’ve been a lot worse. And it speaks to the character of those guys in the locker room.”
Tough to swallow
Since the Bulls fired coach Tom Thibodeau, he has now posted a 14-6 record against them with the Timberwolves and Knicks.