CHICAGO (670 The Score) – Ayo Dosunmu will be the Bulls’ starting point guard when the regular season opens, coach Billy Donovan confirmed Tuesday night.
The news was no surprise, as Dosunmu had been starting in preseason games. Dosunmu got his opportunity as point guard Lonzo Ball is expected to miss a significant chunk of time to open the season after undergoing left knee surgery in late September, his second operation on that knee in the past eight months.
Dosunmu’s presence in the starting lineup means Alex Caruso, Goran Dragic and Coby White will be the guards coming off the Bulls’ bench.
“I feel very comfortable with him,” Donovan said of Dosunmu. “With Goran, with where he’s at in this stage and point in his career, I think there’s a huge impact can make on our team, and it’s not always necessarily with the minutes. It’s just his voice, his experience, his willingness to help guys. But Ayo right now is going to be the guy back there for us, and I think he’s done a really good job this training camp and in preseason games.
“I like having Ayo out there, even from a defensive standpoint, where you can put him on different guys. He can get out in transition.”
Dosunmu, 22, averaged 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 52.0% overall and 37.6% from 3-point range as a rookie last season, when he appeared in 77 games, starting 40 times.
“I’m thankful, because this is a great organization,” Dosunmu said when asked for his reaction to being named a starter. “We have a chance to do something special. So for me to be named the point guard, that’s a blessing. But I’m continuing to work hard. I’m going to take it day by day, get better. I’m looking forward to growing with the team. I’m just going to try to come out swinging from the get-go.”
The Bulls will start Nikola Vucevic at center and Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan on the wings. One more starting lineup spot remains up for grabs beyond that. That’s at power forward, where Patrick Williams and Javonte Green have battled for the job. Williams started Tuesday, when he scored 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting against a shorthanded Bucks team at the United Center in the Bulls’ preseason finale, but Green has outperformed Williams in the preseason.
Chicago opens the regular season at Miami on Oct. 10.
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
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