NEWSLETTER
OH. MY. GOODNESS!!!
When the NBA Draft started at 7:00 p.m. CT, I think it’s safe to the Chicago Bulls did not think they would end up with a hometown hero and first-round talent. With the 38th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley were able to select Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu.
CHICAGO'S OWN.
WELCOME HOME, AYO. pic.twitter.com/ghTsi0NLFc
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 30, 2021
The Big Ten Champion and Fighting Illini junior is a 21-year-old versatile combo guard who can immediately step in and help the Bulls next season. Many mock draft and big boards had him as a prospect worthy of going right in the backend of the first round. However, as several contending teams began to draft for need, Dosunmu began to fall alongside several other big-name talents.
Anyway, my fingers are moving too fast for my body right now. I’ll get more to you shortly, but I need to celebrate with a drink! For now, I’ll leave you with some words I wrote on Dosunmu during the pre-draft process:
Dosunmu has found himself up and down draft rankings throughout his college career. He spent three seasons with the Fighting Illini, most recently helping the program restore national relevancy with a No. 1 seed in the previous NCAA Tournament. Dosunmu’s steady two-way game and clutch play kept him in the running for the National Player of the Year Award all season, and he ultimately was honored with the Bob Cousy Award, which is handed to the NCAA’s top point guard. In his junior season at Illinois, Dosunmu averaged 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Dosunmu might have a knack for going downhill, but his general lack of athleticism and explosiveness has certainly played a key role in his inability to vault up draft boards. Questions have also always lingered about his 3-point shot, but he proved some doubters wrong with a solid 39.0 percent clip this season (2.9 attempts per game). What should quickly translate to the NBA is his ability to get to the free-throw line and help lead an offense. Dosunmu can play both on and off the ball, and he is a crafty ball-handler with a high basketball IQ. He may not be best suited to play the lead guard role, but he can be a helpful secondary playmaker who simultaneously provides good size and effort on the defensive end.
AHHHHHH!! GET HYPED!
