MILWAUKEE – March wasn’t exactly kind to Ayo Dosunmu.
For the Bulls guard, it was basically his least productive month since October of his rookie campaign, when the second-round pick was still trying to figure out where the visiting locker rooms were located in most arenas.
While the Patrick Beverley effect has improved the team in the standings, as well as given Dosunmu a true mentor to work on his game, it’s also cost him playing time and development.
If it means wins, however, Dosunmu’s willing to put all of that on hold.
“At the end of the day everybody is a competitor and wants to start. That’s just the reality of it,’’ Dosunmu said on Wednesday. “But at this time of the year, it’s all about trying to get as many wins as possible. You really don’t have any time to worry about anything else than that because in about a week, we’re pretty much going into a [play-in] situation where you either win or lose, and your season can be over with. My mindset is all about winning, do whatever it takes to help us do that.’’
Lately, that means chipping in about 20 minutes per game off the bench, averaging 6.3 points, while shooting 48.1% from the field.
This for a one-time starter that was getting 30 minutes a night back in February, hitting double-digit scoring in six games back in February, including a 22-point showing against Charlotte.
What it’s shown Dosunmu is that roles in this game can change quickly, but also how much more he needs to work on once the Bulls have played their final game of the year and the offseason has started.
An offseason in which the Bulls could very well have to choose between signing Coby White moving forward or sticking with the hometown kid in Dosunmu.
“Fors sure I have a lot of work to do,’’ Dosunmu said. “If you want to reach the goals that a competitor wants to reach, you always have things you say you want to work on. You look back at games like 10 through 15, and say, ‘Wow, if I had the knowledge I have now for those games it would be different.’
“There will definitely be an offseason plan, but my mindset is focused on these last few [regular-season] games and then doing whatever it takes to secure us a play-off spot.’’
Caru-no-show
The left mid-foot sprain remained an issue for Alex Caruso, enough so that the Bulls medical staff and Caruso opted to sit him against the Bucks.
The starting guard did play against Memphis on Sunday and then Atlanta on Tuesday, but the back-to-backs have been the obstacle, and one they decided to avoid.
“He came out of the Memphis game feeling really, really good,’’ coach Billy Donovan said. “Came out of [the Atlanta] game not feeling great. And generally in a day or two it subsides.’’
The good news was the game in Milwaukee was the last back-to-back the Bulls would play this season, which means they should have their steals leader for however long this season goes – play-in or beyond.
“Besides the pain threshold for him, and he’s got a high pain threshold, that’s really not the issue,’’ Donovan said. “I’m sure it hurts him, so I don’t want to diminish that. It’s how well he can move and plant and cut with the pain? When he can’t go out there and do the things he typically can do for us, at the level he does it, he knows he can’t be productive. He doesn’t want to be a liability.’’
