Bulls reap benefits from Ayo Dosunmu’s commitment to improve shot
How Dosunmu’s offseason work on shot benefits Bulls originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
By all accounts, Ayo Dosunmu is a film junkie and knowledge seeker.
So when the Chicago Bulls guard dug into his offseason plan, he placed speeding up his shot high on his to-do list.
Whether his actual release is quicker or he’s merely—in Billy Donovan’s words—more shot ready, the difference is notable. And that’s no small detail for a team that ranks 28th in 3-point attempts this season after also languishing near the bottom last season.
You can’t make the 3-pointers you don’t take. And for a team that doesn’t take a lot of them, making them becomes even a higher priority.
Dosunmu is shooting 38.3 percent on 3.9 attempts from 3-point range. That’s an uptick from last season’s marks of 37.6 percent on 2.4 attempts per game. And it’s important for a team that’s still without 3-point marksman Lonzo Bal.
“It’s all about reps,” Dosunmu said after Saturday’s practice at the Advocate Center. “It’s about getting a lot of shots up, a lot of positive shots.”
A hometown product, Dosunmu lived at the Advocate Center during the offseason. Whether he worked with assistant coach Chris Fleming, another assistant coach or someone from the player development staff, Dosunmu had the memory of the Bulls’ first-round playoff loss to the Milwaukee Bucks fresh in his mind.
That’s when he and everyone else watched the Bucks’ defense load up on DeMar DeRozan, wall off the paint and dare anyone else to beat them from long distance. Dosunmu shot 3-for-13 and the Bulls struggled overall at 28.3 percent.
“I always want to get better,” Dosunmu said. “So far I’ve prepared myself being shot-ready at all times.
“I try to take all the open shots. I try to get downhill, play to my strengths, playmake. But when the 3 is open, I’ve really been focusing on that. I’m taking it with confidence, making it with confidence. I think that’s going to help our team and help my individual growth throughout the season. . . . I still have a ways to go to reach my full potential, but so far, so good.”
Ball completely overhauling his shot when he played for New Orleans and worked with assistant coach Fred Vinson is the exception. Dosunmu’s form looks basically the same as last season. It’s just he’s more ready for certain situations.
“I think for him it’s been balance,” Donovan said. “The quickness part of it to me has been him being more shot ready, that when the ball does hit his hands, he’s ready to shoot it.
“A lot of times the ball found him last year and he wasn’t quite ready. And he had to dip it and shoot it. I think off the ball, having an awareness that when it does come to you, you’re ready to shoot it. And generally, that’s going to help you and your speed with the shot.”
Donovan pointed to other factors that could be positive contributing factors to Dosunmu’s improvement. He has a season under his belt with the longer 3-point shot. And he had a whole offseason to pinpoint his targeted goal.
“He’s a hard worker and a pretty committed guy,” Donovan said. “When he gets his mind on something, he’ll work on it. He spent a lot of time working on his shooting and his body this offseason.”
It’s showing.
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Source: Yahoo Sports
