NEWSLETTER
After Dalen Terry gave us our first glimpse of some offseason workout footage, Ayo Dosunmu joined in on the fun.
The Instagram account “3tworkouts” shared some footage of Dosunmu in the lab. The Chicago Bulls’ guard could be seen honing his skills off the pick-and-roll, consistently pulling up from 3, as the defender went under the screen.
You can see the original clip on Instagram here or reposted on Twitter courtesy of the account Nothin’ But Bull:
While it’s silly to analyze summer workout tape, I do like knowing that Dosunmu is already back working on his PnR game. Dosunmu is an absolute pest in transition, with great acceleration and finishing skills, but we have seen him struggle to find much of an identity in the halfcourt setting.
Let’s not forget he was a big-time scorer in college. With a mean mid-range game and a decent first step, he averaged 20.1 points as a senior at Illinois. All things considered, he should be able to operate well in the pick-and-roll. But it’s simply not something that has materialized much at the next level.
Now, some of that is certainly due to a rather limited on-ball role. The Bulls have not asked Dosunmu to create much offense for himself — not with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan in town. However, with Lonzo Ball’s health still a major question mark (and a roster shake-up likely on the horizon), there is a very real possibility that more reps could come Dosunmu’s way.
With that said, let’s hope he spends extra time working off the ball this summer, too. Learning how to operate outside of being the lead ball-handler has been a challenge for Dosunmu since entering the league. After shooting 37.6 percent from downtown in Year 1, we saw him struggle to make an impact as a catch-and-shoot threat with a 31.2 percent clip last season. Likewise, there’s surely more room for him to affect the game as a cutter.
I say all of this knowing that there is a possibility Dosunmu isn’t even wearing a Bulls uniform next season. The Chicago native and former second-rounder is headed toward restricted free agency in the coming months. Sure, it feels like the Bulls would want to invest further in Dosunmu’s upside, but it’s hard to declare anyone safe after the season they just had.
Anyway, keep working hard, Ayo Dosunmu!
