![\"A](\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!BeB0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff1c8f749-5ad0-4d81-8eed-00e9f6e091ba_1440x960.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Chicago Bulls suffered a dismal loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on November 24, as New Orleans snapped its nine-game skid with a 143-point outburst. The Pelicans dominated inside, piling up 78 points in the paint and adding 30 more on second-chance opportunities against a helpless Chicago defense.<\/p>\n
Reserve big man Yves Missi chipped in 14 points and a staggering 10 offensive rebounds, while Zion Williamson repeatedly sliced through the defense, shooting 8-of-14 on his way to 29 points. It was a defensive disaster class for the Bulls\u2014but on the bright side, Chicago still put up 130 points without Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Huerter, two of its key offensive contributors.<\/p>\n
Sure, Chicago\u2019s defense was pitiful, but Billy Donovan may have stumbled onto something with the lineup he rolled out. Patrick Williams clearly isn\u2019t suited to starting, or to getting minutes at the five, and Vucevic will reclaim his spot in the middle once he\u2019s healthy. The real takeaway is that Ayo Dosunmu has earned a place in the starting unit alongside Coby White and Josh Giddey.<\/p>\n
Dosunmu notched a team-high 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three-point range. Alongside Jalen Smith, who has been sensational in a reserve role, Dosunmu was the only other Bull with a positive plus\/minus.<\/p>\n
Dosunmu has played tremendously well this season, yet he has primarily come off the bench, starting in only three games. In his role as sixth man, the 6-foot-5 guard has averaged 16.4 points while shooting 56.3 percent from the field and 47.5 percent from three\u2014numbers no other player in the association is matching.<\/p>\n
Dosunmu\u2019s move into the starting lineup comes at the expense of Tre Jones. While Jones is averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, the Bulls\u2019 net rating drops whenever he shares the floor with the team\u2019s four usual starters, excluding Coby White, who has played only four games this season.<\/p>\n
This does come as a surprise, especially because Jones is such a team-first player who’s third on the team in assists, but also because the combination of him and Giddey was exceptional a season ago and much-needed to begin this season.<\/p>\n
Currently, the Jones\u2013Giddey pairing has a net rating of \u20137.5, the 10th-worst mark among 33 two-man lineups with over 100 minutes this season. Even worse, Jones and Isaac Okoro sit at an abysmal \u201321.4, while Jones and Vucevic are at \u201310.0.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a perplexing development, given how important Jones was at the start of the season. With White back, however, Jones is no longer as critical. White has immediately resumed his alpha role and has excelled in it. With Giddey and White as the primary ball handlers, Jones is now best suited for a reserve role.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s still the conundrum of who should fill the fifth spot if Dosunmu, Giddey, and White form a three-headed guard unit in the starting lineup. Vucevic\u2019s size and rebounding are essential, but Donovan must choose between rising star Matas Buzelis and defensive specialist Isaac Okoro.<\/p>\n
Of course, the decision isn\u2019t difficult: Buzelis clearly has the edge as a 21-year-old, do-it-all forward. Donovan may keep the 6-foot-10 forward on a short leash, but Buzelis remains perhaps the Bulls\u2019 most promising prospect. He\u2019s averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three, along with 1.4 blocks per contest.<\/p>\n
Okoro\u2019s defense is crucial for Chicago, and he might warrant starting over Dosunmu in specific situations. However, his offensive struggles make it difficult for Donovan to deploy him with the starting group. Like Jones, Okoro\u2019s two-man net rating with the other starters is negative.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t take injuries to Jones, Huerter, and Okoro to reveal that Dosunmu is the ideal fit alongside Giddey and White. He\u2019s been playing well all season, and four of the five Bulls\u2019 best three-man units to log at least 50 minutes include him. The challenge now is that Chicago\u2019s best defender, Okoro, and floor spacer, Huerter, are no longer ideal fits in the starting lineup\u2014a development that wasn\u2019t expected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ayo Dosunmu deserves a starting role for the Chicago Bulls, but his promotion comes with tough choices for the team\u2019s backcourt and lineup chemistry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":122872,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n