Going into the 2021 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls only held one pick, and they would have to wait a long time before making that selection.
Vice President Arturas Karnisovas and his front office mates would have to make this one count, too, as it came all the way back at pick no. 38. Without a first-round pick due to the Nikola Vucevic trade, the Bulls had only their second-round pick to work with.
Needless to say, Karnisovas made that pick a meaningful one.
The Bulls selected Illinois guard and Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu, creating a dream come true for the reigning Bob Cousy Award winner. Yes, the Bulls were able to snag the kid who won the award for the nation’s top point guard in the second round.
The Chicago Bulls couldn’t have made a better pick than Ayo Dosunmu in the 2021 NBA Draft.
With everything considered, Ayo was the perfect pick for the Bulls. First and foremost, they needed depth at point guard. They need to find their true point guard of the future, and while Ayo may not be that exact guy, he certainly helps their quest.
He also believes this may have been destiny.
The reason he dropped to the second round is simply due to his game being a bit unpolished. Ayo isn’t the best athlete in the world and he could use some refining in his game when it comes to three-point shooting as well as taking care of the basketball.
However, his strengths are exactly what the Bulls need at this time. The 6-foot-4 guard has an enormous wingspan that allows him to comfortably guard positions 1-3, so he immediately brings a strong defensive presence to Chicago.
Ayo is as well-rounded a point guard as any in this draft, too. He is one of just four players to ever average 20 or more points, six or more rebounds and five or more assists per game in an entire season. Last year, he posted a line of 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field.
This was an incredibly smart pick by the Bulls, who not only needed help at point guard, but a defensive-minded guy who can facilitate. It’s no wonder Chicago is going to be in on Lonzo Ball when it comes time for free agency to begin. They need bigger guards with plus defense, and they got that in Ayo.
The obvious fact here is also that Ayo will be part of selling tickets. No matter what his role ends up being, Chicago is excited to have a hometown kid get drafted again. He will draw more fans than probably any other player they could have taken at that pick, therefore Ayo was as wise a pick as Karnisovas could have made.
