The age gap between Ja Morant and Ayo Dosunmu was only five months and seven days.
The talent gap on Saturday? Worlds.
That was on full display in Morant’s takeover, as the Memphis All-Star guard scored a career-high 46 points, while Dosunmu was forced to the bench in favor of Coby White down the stretch.
The first real significant stumble of Dosunmu’s unbelievable rookie campaign, as the former Morgan Park High School standout looked like a 38th overall pick for really the first time in months.
Not only on the defensive end, but registering his first scoreless game since Jan. 14, against Golden State. Dosunmu did register three assists and two steals against the Grizzlies, but like most of the Bulls backcourt, seemed to get caught up in focusing on trying to somehow slow down the Steven Adams-Morant pick-and-roll game that swallowed up defensive stance after defensive stance.
Billy Donovan said after that he just felt like White did a better job fighting through the screens and trying to stay in front of Morant, but it was more like White was just the lesser of two evils.
The good news for the Bulls?
Dosunmu seldom puts together back-to-back bad games.
In the loss to Phoenix earlier this month, Dosunmu went just 1-for-7 for two points, having his hands full with future Hall of Famer Chris Paul. He then came back a game later against Minnesota and scored 14 points while handing out 10 assists in a blowout win.
After that loss to the Warriors, Dosunmu came back for the backend of the back-to-back against Boston, and while it was a loss, the rookie shot 9-for-10 from the field for 21 points, as well as registering 10 assists.
That mentality has not only been appreciated by Donovan, but will be needed.
“I think sometimes people view competition as a threat and sometimes people view competition as an opportunity to grow,” Donovan said. “That’s the way [Dosunmu] views it. He views it as he’s going to learn something and it’s going to make him better. He leans into those situations.”
He definitely did in Thursday’s win over Atlanta, giving All-Star point guard Trae Young headaches all night long with his defense. Young finished 3-for-17 from the field, including 0-for-5 from three-point range.
It was the first time the two squared off as starters this season, and it won’t be the last.
That’s why the Bulls need Dosunmu to bounce back, and do so quickly.
Monday, he’ll face off against Kyle Lowry on South Beach, Thursday it’s the rematch with Young, and then on Friday, Milwaukee comes to town and that means championship point guard Jrue Holiday.
Lonzo Ball (knee surgery) has picked up his rehab schedule the last week, but there is still no timetable for his return besides the very generic mid-to-late March.
That means Dosunmu will still likely have to deal with James Harden, Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland and De’Aaron Fox, who scored 33 points in their first showdown two weeks ago.
“I always thought as a player you can never really grow unless you go through really intense situations or a significant amount of adversity,” Donovan said of Dosunmu. “Even guarding Trae Young, as he’s guarding him he learns more about that player. You kind of get tendencies and things he’s trying to do, how he sets things up, where he’s trying to get on the floor.”
Fortunately for Dosunmu, the Bulls are done with Memphis this season.
That will give him plenty of time to prepare for Morant the next time they see each other. He’ll need it.