Dosunmu loses minutes, gains knowledge
The addition of Patrick Beverley has been a double-edged sword for second-year guard Ayo Dosunmu. He’s playing less but learning more.
Dosunmu is adjusting to a reserve role after starting the previous 28 games before the Bulls signed Beverley on Feb. 21. His minutes are down from 28.4 per game before Beverley’s arrival to 18.1 since the former Marshall star arrived.
“He’s someone who’s been around the game a long time,” Dosunmu said. “He plays my position, so he’s been great for me from that aspect — me being able to learn from him because he’s seen it all.’’
Because of the nature of the effervescent Beverley’s energy-based game, it’s difficult to measure his exact impact on any team or any teammate. But Dosunmu only has to watch and listen to learn.
“His tricks of the game,” Dosunmu said when asked what he’s learned in particular. “Sometimes you watch people play defense, and you wonder how they’re so good. Seeing him live, seeing how he competes, how vocal he is. He’s had so many tricks on defense, whether it’s getting through screens [or] knowing the scouting report and using it to his advantage.
“A lot of those little tricks, only someone who’s been in the league 10-plus years would know. And I have the advantage to really pick his brain, so that can help me flourish. I’m in my second year, and I’m trying to take what I can from him, take what I can from DeMar [DeRozan], take what I can from all these other guys to help my game get better.”
The downside is that Dosunmu’s on-court role has diminished since Beverley arrived. But he’s adjusting to it. In his first two games off the bench, Dosunmu shot 3-for-14 (21.4%) from the field and 1-for-6 (16.7%) from three-point range. In the previous six games going into Wednesday, he shot 17-for26 (57.7%) from the field and 2-for-6 (33.3%) from three-point range.
Dosunmu, who started against the Kings on Wednesday night with Alex Caruso out with an illness, said it has not been a difficult adjustment. He figures his time will come eventually, and with Beverley as a mentor, he’ll probably be a better player when it does.
“When you put work into your game and you believe in your game, I feel it will all work out,” Dosunmu said. “In the NBA, it’s never easy, especially for young players. There’s always going to be ups and downs, and that’s OK.
“It’s all about keeping your mind right, always staying with the team, always coming in for extra work . . . because you never know when you might get that chance to go back out there and help your team win. I’ve put a lot of work into my game. I’m pretty confident with where my game is at. I want to continue to get better . . . you never know when your opportunity may come, and you’ve got to be ready to seize it.”
Beverley Effect
The Bulls are 5-4 with Beverley in the lineup after a 117-114 loss to the Kings — after having lost six consecutive games.
“His presence brings a toughness,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “And that toughness, that leadership bodes well for anybody’s confidence.
“When you have confidence and belief in this league — and [the Bulls], they’re really talented in terms of the pieces they have
... [ Zach] LaVine ,[ Nikola] Vucevic and [DeRozan]. When you have that belief and confidence, the sky’s the limit for your group. And he’s starting to bring that to this team.”