3 Ayo Dosunmu traits that flaunt his limitless potential

Of course, the Bulls need Ayo Dosunmu to score and he can certainly do that.

On January 15th, Ayo Dosunmu finished with 21 points, 10 assists, and four rebounds. He went 9-for-10 on field goals and 3-for-3 on three-pointers in a 114-112 loss in Boston.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of Ayo Dosunmu is how efficiently he scores the basketball. Rookies are almost never expected to score very efficiently, taking full advantage of the youth card in that respect but not the second-round gem on the Chicago Bulls. Dosunmu doesn’t force his shots, avoids situations where he has to take a bad shot and attacks the rim with determination.

The former Illinois guard was not known for his outside shooting ability in college but he’s more than proven his capability in the NBA. Dosunmu leads all rookies who’ve appeared in more than half of their team’s games and average at least 15 minutes per game in field goal percentage (52.6%) and three-point percentage (42.5%).

He also leads this section of rookies in the advanced shooting metrics, effective field goal percentage (60.3%), and true shooting percentage (61.5%).

Let’s take a look at effective field goal percentage. This statistic takes into account that making a three-pointer is statistically less likely than making a two-point field goal. The metric is calculated as such: (2-Point Field Goals Made + 1.5 * 3-Point Field Goals Made) / Field Goals Attempted or (2FGM + 1.5*3PM)/FGA.

Those who are well-versed in math will notice that since a three-pointer is multiplied by 1.5, the effective field goal percentage (eFG%) can sometimes be greater than 100%. This brings us back to Dosunmu’s performance at TD Garden in Boston. If we insert his shooting statistics into the formula for eFG%, this is what we get: (6 + 1.5*3)/10 = 105%.

This is a very big deal. First, Dosunmu is the only rookie this season to achieve an eFG% greater than 100% while attempting 10+ field goals in a single game. Beyond this, Dosunmu is only the 14th rookie to achieve this since 1983. He joins the likes of Ja Morant, Kyrie Irving, and Wesley Matthews. Oh, and he did this in only the third start of his NBA career.

It seems that Ayo Dosunmu is far ahead of schedule in some very important statistical categories and this spells a very bright future for the young guard and Chicago Bulls fans alike. Despite already making history, the young professional can only improve from this point.

He is surrounded by veteran talent, a winning head coach, and a fanbase that already loves him for his roots and intellect. You can watch Ayo Dosunmu in the NBA’s Clorox Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 18th and judging from the last month, he may end up outshining them all.