© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Billy Donovan compares Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White's massive improvements this season to Joakim Noah's
The Chicago Bulls have dealt with injuries all season long. From All-Star Zach LaVine to forwards Patrick Williams and Torrey Craig to rookie Julian Phillips, the team has been shorthanded for a significant portion of the year.
However, head coach Billy Donovan has young guys like Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu to thank for keeping things afloat. The two have played significant roles in Chicago's keeping the ninth spot in the Eastern Conference as the regular season nears its close.
In a recent interview, Donovan compared the improvements of White and Dosunmu to former Bulls player Joakim Noah's development during his time in Chicago.
Maturation process
According to Donovan, the biggest jump he’s seen a player make from one season to the next is with Noah. Early in Noah’s NCAA career, he played behind Al Horford and Corey Brewer on those Florida Gators squads with Donovan at the helm. However, that situation didn’t deter him from adopting a winning mentality.
“The biggest jump I ever saw a player make was Joakim [Noah] from his freshman year to sophomore year,” Donovan said.
“Joakim is very driven and motivated. He’s all about the team, about winning.”
Given the opportunity to start in his second year, the energetic forward grabbed it and ran with it. He averaged 14.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game to help the Gators win the first of back-to-back NCAA crowns.
“You can put Coby and Ayo into that category in terms of how they view things,” Donovan shared.
Staying ready
Injuries are as part of the NBA fabric as anything else. Every year, players go down with various ailments, drastically affecting a team's chances of success. However, what separates the good teams from the great ones is their ability to stay ready and adapt when faced with adversity.
For Dosunmu, this meant spending the rest of the summer working on his shooting and decision-making. Although he came into the season buried deep in the rotation, with White and Jevon Carter present, Dosunmu bided his time and stayed ready for his moment.
Now, with injuries to both White and LaVine, Dosunmu has been thrust into a more prominent role and he's making the most of it.
“The sad but realistic part about the NBA is there’s always going to be injuries,” Dosunmu said.
“That’s just how the game goes. I just think especially myself and I’m pretty sure [White] also, you just want to put yourself in position where whenever you’re called upon, you’re ready.”
