Former Illini Ayo Dosunmu Hitting His Marks for Bulls in NBA Preseason

Former Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu carrying over 3-point efficiency from career 2023-24 NBA season

Mar 21, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) shoots outside against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

After missing the Chicago Bulls' previous 2024-25 NBA preseason game due to shoulder soreness, Ayo Dosunmu returned to the starting lineup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday with a bang.

In Chicago's final tune-up game before the NBA season officially gets underway, Dosunmu led the. Bulls with 19 points, three assists and three rebounds. The former Illini guard knocked down five 3s, including a buzzer-beating pull-up at the end of the first quarter – for which he may or may not have called bank:

Ayo at the buzzer 🚨@CHSN__ | @AyoDos_11 pic.twitter.com/a45nVDbd1G

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 19, 2024

At Illinois, Dosunmu averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 assists and 6.3 rebounds as junior, stuffing his personal trophy case full of hardware – including consensus first-team All-American honors and the Bob Cousy award, which is awarded annually to college basketball's best point guard. So maybe a hurried prayer of a shot off the glass in a preseason game is no big whoop.

But Friday's game could be an indicator of more consequential developments. After a solid first two NBA seasons in Chicago, which involved an All-Rookie campaign, Dosunmu made a big jump in his third year – 12.2 points per game and 40.0 percent shooting on 3s.

Dosunmu's size, athleticism and playmaking have never been in question – but his jump shot certainly has been at times. We've seen plenty of fluke shooting seasons in the NBA in the past. (Remember the year we were supposed to begin taking Draymond Green seriously as a 3-point threat?) How could we be sure after 2023-24 that Dosunmu had found his stroke?

Well, if this preseason is any indication – and, yes, we know: small-sample-size warning – Dosunmu's stroke hasn't escaped him. Over three games so far, he has averaged 12.0 points on 54.2 percent field-goal shooting – and hit 9 of 15 3-pointers (60.0 percent).

Something may eventually have to give in Chicago, especially after Lonzo Ball returned to score 10 and 11 points in the Bulls' two most recent games, in his first action since 2021-22 (wow). But with his versatility and – now – consistent ability to stretch an NBA defense, Dosunmu seems to have locked down his long-term future in the league.

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