December 7, 2021: Bright Spot

There have been some rough times lately… in the life of a Chicago sports fan. Yes, the Bears have been crappy, but… we do have Justin Fields. The Blackhawks started the season losing 11 of their first 12 games and fired their coach, but… they look to be turning it around. The worst of it all, was what the Cubs did in late July, completely blowing the team up… and although we finally signed someone of note before the lockout, this upcoming season does not look bright… unless some more folks are signed aka Correa and another starter minimum. Back during that shitstorm at the trade deadline, there was one bright spot that made smile: the Bulls 2021 draft pick. We didn’t have a first round pick due to the Vooch trade, but we did have a 2nd round pick. I couldn’t believe this guy fell to us… as Stacey says AYOOOOO silver!

Finding talent in professional sports is no easy task. Sure, there are those no brainers every year, but even some of those don’t pan out. But finding talent as the draft goes on, isn’t easy. I remember the movie Moneyball… love that movie. Brad Pitt talking to the lead scout about the new way of doing things, while the scout is basically calling him an idiot and nothing can replace years of experience; I think they both have a point. I think in order to select the right talent, you need a mix of it all. How did Ayo Dosunmu fall to the Bulls in the 2nd round? This means that every other NBA team passed on him, right? Hey, I’m not complaining… I’m just saying.

Sure, there is something to be said for right place right time. Ayo does NOT have to be the man on this Bulls team, plus he’s come into a team, a situation, that is almost perfect for him. I wonder if playing at home has helped him… I imagine in some cases this may NOT be a good thing, but Ayo is thriving… not sure how much playing in Chicago has to do with it. Surely playing with guys who seem to have all bought in to the team first mentality… win above everything else mentality… has been helpful; Ayo surely seems to be all about that. He also seems to be a very coachable player, understanding he’s going to have to bust his ass as a rookie in this league, to prove it to the coach and his teammates that he belongs. Note: he DOES belong, and on Monday night at the UC, due to practically half the team being out, he got his first start. Note #2: it went well.

We know Patrick Williams is out for the year, but to have Coby White, Javonte Green, AND Demar DeRozan out due to COVID stuff, AND Caruso with an injury, and STILL beat the Nuggets… The Bulls continue to give us examples of why they are back, why there are legit, and why this season is going to be a ton of fun. Zach lead the way on Monday night with 32 points, with Ball and Vooch each adding 20. As for Ayo… 11 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds, to go with the ton of heart and effort he brings every night, isn’t too shabby. I’m not going to go digging for old analysis, old tweets, whatever; I think that’s dumb. But I will say a quick thank you to everyone who passed on him; he ended up in the right place. Go Bulls!!!