Ayo Dosunmu has made great strides as a slasher this season

Ayo getting downhill often bodes well for the Chicago Bulls' offense.

© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Ayo Dosunmu is one of the most exciting young players in Chicago. This season, the sophomore guard has shown much improvement in his game. But one area where he has excelled is driving to the rim.

Using his speed to his advantage

Being successful in the NBA often means playing to your strengths. For Dosunmu, one of his greatest strengths is his speed. The 6-foot-5 guard is incredibly quick and uses that to his advantage when driving to the rim. This often leads to easy layups or fouls, which result in free throws. Dosunmu said this is something he worked on in the offseason.

"That's what coach Donovan's been harping on me about, just trying to get downhill a lot. I think that's really a bonus for our team, getting downhill, creating shots, and just being always in attack mode and being aggressive. I think I've done an okay job at that, but I've still got to get better at that," said the Illinois product.

The proof is in the pudding; Dosunmu averaged just two layup attempts per game last season. This season, he's been getting to the rim more, averaging over four layup attempts. Bulls' star Zach LaVine said this is a product of Dosunmu's fearlessness and willingness to soak up as much information as possible from the team's many veterans.

"He's not scared of anything. He works extremely hard. He's vocal. And he's a competitor. He talks to me, DeMar, Vooch, a bunch of the guys out there even in his second year. And we're giving him the opportunity to do that, and we love it," said LaVine.

Usually one play a game, Ayo Dosunmu will catch the defense snoozing. pic.twitter.com/RxCkxQWLqD

— Hoop Informatics (@HoopInformatics) November 7, 2022

Offseason work paying off

Donovan has also taken note of the work Dosunmu's put in the weight room this offseason. The 22-year-old added muscle, which has significantly impacted his ability to finish through contact.

"The biggest difference I see is he's physically different this year. He's put size on. He's gotten stronger. He's got a much better understanding. Like normal players, there's things that you would be talking to him about as a rookie that he knows now because he's been through it and he's seen it," shared Donovan.

With Lonzo Ball's availability still up in the air, the Chicago Bulls will need Dosunmu to continue to be aggressive and get to the rim if they want to have any chance of making the playoffs. So far, he has more than answered the call. His development is one of the most exciting storylines on this young Bulls team.

I've been really impressed with Ayo Dosunmu this year. Not a high-usage player but incredibly efficient with 77th percentile points per shot attempt. Shooting 43% from 3 and projecting to be an elite rim finisher with his craft and change of direction. Excellent secondary player pic.twitter.com/did9sOqs1b

— Joe (@JoeHulbertNBA) November 2, 2022