Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu headed to Rising Stars Game over All-Star Weekend

The blowout of Portland on Sunday helped.

That got Ayo Dosunmu and the rest of the Bulls starters out of the game early for some much needed rest. But even with an easier night than usual, the minutes police have to be circling around the United Center lately.

Over the last nine games, including the light 34-minute night against the Trail Blazers, Dosunmu was averaging 37.7 minutes per game. Over the course of a full season, the former Morgan Park High School standout would currently be second in the league in minutes per game, trailing only Fred VanVleet and his 38.6 minutes per game.

Then again, the minutes police would be the only ones really concerned because it sure wasn’t bothering the 22-year-old Dosunmu.

Very little does these days, especially after he was named to the All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars Game on Tuesday evening, joining the 12-player rookie team.

“I always say, your mind tells you you’re tired and you have about 60-70% left,” Dosunmu said to reporters about all the minutes he’s played lately. “So I try to just train my mind that. So when I think I’m tired – it’s just probably a spur of the moment thing – you can keep going, dig deep, and dig deep on your habits. In the offseason, those extra runs, those extra sprints. Then it gives me a little bit more leniency with my recovery.”

The rookie’s extended playing time has not only been out of necessity with Lonzo Ball (knee surgery) and Alex Caruso (wrist surgery) sidelined, but it’s also been a huge positive for Dosunmu. From Day 1 of training camp, teammates have talked about how the former Illini guard asked more questions than most rookies they could remember, and not only asked the questions but retained the answers.

“He’s a sponge,” veteran DeMar DeRozan commented earlier in the season.

“He’s just an eager guy to learn,” coach Billy Donovan said of Dosunmu. “You see levels of inconsistencies and when there is inconsistency I think you see growth and improvement. There’s just going to be certain things he’s going to go through for the first time that he’s gonna learn from, he’s going to get better from. He’s eager to get better. He thrives on that. And whatever situation you throw him into, even if at that moment if it doesn’t go great you can be pretty confident that he’s going to address it and respond to it and be better the next time.”

That’s why Donovan had been petitioning for Dosunmu to make the Rising Stars Game. It’s not only a big reward for a second-round pick, but it will give him a chance to absorb even more from the young elite players that he’ll be around.

“I’m not quite sure all his relationships with players around the league that are close to his age, of who he’s played against in high school or AAU, who he’s played against in college,” Donovan said. “But he’s a guy that when you throw him in experiences he looks at the experience, and he’ll take something from it if he gets the opportunity.”

All-Star honor

Zach LaVine will find out on Thursday if he made the All-Star Game as a reserve, but Donovan could also be joining the mix.

If the Bulls are atop the Eastern Conference after Sunday’s games, Donovan will be coaching in the All-Star Game.

“Obviously it would be a great honor to be able to do something like that,” Donovan said. “It speaks to the players and the team. It would probably be something we all share in because you’ve got to finish in first place in the East.”

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