The Bulls are in the midst of a tough stretch. After opening the season with their first 5-0 start since the 1996-97 season, the Bulls' defense started to falter, and they quickly started dropping games. They had a brief rebound, but now the offense is struggling just as much as the defense, and the team is 2-8 over their last 10 games. Despite all this, the Bulls have been able to enjoy a tremendous season--up to this point--of Ayo Dosunmu.

The Chicago-native has returned quite strong from a shoulder injury suffered late last season. Dosunmu is having arguably his best season, averaging a career-high 15.2 PPG, while shooting a career-best 47.5% from 3-point range on 4 attempts per game from deep. Even if the shooting is to trend down a bit some point, he is still on pace to easily pass his past career-best mark of 40.3% from 3-point range on similar volume. He has been one of few positive storylines throughout a rough Bulls season, that is why hearing he is quite banged up at the moment on Tuesday was disheartening. 

CHSN's K.C. Johnson posted on X/Twitter on Tuesday, December 16th, that Dosunmu was dealing with a pair of sprained thumbs, as well a bone bruise in his right thumb. The NBA Cup game--obviously not involving the Bulls--gives Dosunmu some much-needed time to rest, but it is easy to let the mind wander to the idea of Dosunmu potentially sitting a few games. 

The Bulls are in a position where the losses seemingly matter more than ever, and a legitimately injured Dosunmu would be better off resting and getting to 100% rather than playing through any injury even with slight discomfort, even more so in a season where he is headed to unrestricted free agency. 

Per Cleaning The Glass, Dosunmu is shooting 55% at the rim, a very bad mark and quite easily the worst of his career. It's perhaps one of the signs of lingering effects from the shoulder injury he recovered from, as he is usually elite at the rim, shooting around 66% in almost every season of his career to this point. Interestingly, Dosunmu is currently shooting lights out from 3-point range at just under 48%, and he is having pretty much the opposite issue of guard Coby White, who is currently struggling mightily from 3-point range while converting at a decent-for-him rate at the rim.

It would be quite tough for a Bulls team that has lost 8 of their last 10 games to play without Dosunmu--0.4 PPG behind Vucevic as the team's 4th leading scorer--but it may be illogical for a banged-up Dosunmu to suit up for a team that clearly needs to be prioritizing their long-term future, while he should be prioritizing his.

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