One thing that young, up-and-coming studs often have trouble with is consistency. One game, they could be popping off for 30-plus points, but the next, they're struggling to break double digits. However, it seems that Ayo Dosunmu is starting to show signs of bucking this trend.
According to Bulls coach Billy Donovan, Dosunmu has played solid basketball during a stretch when he had to enter the starting lineup due to season-ending injuries to Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams.
An encore performance
Dosunmu was the talk of the town recently when he scored a career-high 34 points against the Washington Wizards. After that game, as the praise rained down on the third-year guard from Illinois, Donovan challenged him right before the game versus Portland on Monday: “[Dosunmu] played really well last game, but can he come back and do it again today?”
Dosunmu answered the call with a double-double of 23 points and 10 assists. It was the first time in Dosunmu’s career that he had scored over 20 points in back-to-back games.
Responded well
Dosunmu has repeatedly said that he’s a player who doesn’t mind being coached hard and responds well to challenges. The numbers back this up—since January 13, Dosunmu has averaged 15.9 points on 51 percent shooting, 4.7 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game. He knows a lot is expected of him in every game and comes ready to play each night.
“He’s trying to pride himself on being a guy that can be consistent night in and night out. It’s not always going to be in scoring. I thought he responded really well. He didn’t have the scoring output he had the other night, but he played a really sound game all the way through,” Donovan said of Dosunmu’s performance against the Trail Blazers.
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