Home
Forums
New Posts
Illini Basketball
Illini Football
Sports Talk
Log in
Register
What's new
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Sports
Illini Basketball
Ayo Dosunmu has big decision to make about NBA
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="TheFameProtector" data-source="post: 1534969" data-attributes="member: 517079"><p>I don't think it's disrespect, though I can see why it's taken as such. I'm willing to bet that everybody on here respects the heck out of Ayo and feels a deep sense of gratitude for him choosing to come here and for what he did after coming here. Ayo wasn't just a bunch of hype like JCL...that dude came in here, turned an entire program around almost single-handedly, and made himself into one of the most beloved players we've had in a generation. None of that can or will be taken away from him, no matter how his professional career progresses. Once an Illini, always an Illini; and once an Illini legend, well, good luck eating a meal in C-U without getting asked for a picture or an autograph.</p><p></p><p>Now, just because all of those things are true doesn't mean we can't be clear eyed in assessing his game through the lens of professional ball. Ayo excels in a number of areas that made him a killer in college, but his game has some glaring holes that could really impact his ability at the next level. He almost exclusively favors one hand. He is extremely fast but lacks bounce and isn't particularly quick laterally (huge for defense). He has a shot release that is extremely low and likely to be blocked quite a bit or otherwise prevent him from taking shots he should otherwise be able to take. He is a poor three point shooter. He occasionally shows good handles but isn't able to utilize them in game situations much, if at all, to create separation, instead relying on his size and quickness. And, as a result, he mostly drives in a straight line, as was highlighted against Miami at the end of the game (if my memory serves me right).</p><p></p><p>Again, Ayo is an awesome ball player!!!! But the margins shrink at the next level. A player's quickness is measured against De'Aaron Fox and Russell Westbrook instead of Cassius Winston and Anthony Cowan. Physical traits matter less unless they translate into absolute lockdown defense -- Ayo has shown he can be a good defender, but he hasn't emphasized this part of his game as much. Shooting sub 30% is only acceptable if your last name is Antetokounmpo or Westbrook, and even in the case of the latter, his shooting nearly sunk his career the last few years and ultimately forced a team to build everything around him.</p><p></p><p>I hope all of this analysis is dead wrong, and I hope Ayo is a surefire draft pick whenever it happens. And I hope he taps into all that latent potential he still has, hones his game, and is able to carve out a long career in the NBA. That would be seriously awesome. He certainly has the potential, but I need to see more of it realized before believing he's a surefire rotation player in the league.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TheFameProtector, post: 1534969, member: 517079"] I don't think it's disrespect, though I can see why it's taken as such. I'm willing to bet that everybody on here respects the heck out of Ayo and feels a deep sense of gratitude for him choosing to come here and for what he did after coming here. Ayo wasn't just a bunch of hype like JCL...that dude came in here, turned an entire program around almost single-handedly, and made himself into one of the most beloved players we've had in a generation. None of that can or will be taken away from him, no matter how his professional career progresses. Once an Illini, always an Illini; and once an Illini legend, well, good luck eating a meal in C-U without getting asked for a picture or an autograph. Now, just because all of those things are true doesn't mean we can't be clear eyed in assessing his game through the lens of professional ball. Ayo excels in a number of areas that made him a killer in college, but his game has some glaring holes that could really impact his ability at the next level. He almost exclusively favors one hand. He is extremely fast but lacks bounce and isn't particularly quick laterally (huge for defense). He has a shot release that is extremely low and likely to be blocked quite a bit or otherwise prevent him from taking shots he should otherwise be able to take. He is a poor three point shooter. He occasionally shows good handles but isn't able to utilize them in game situations much, if at all, to create separation, instead relying on his size and quickness. And, as a result, he mostly drives in a straight line, as was highlighted against Miami at the end of the game (if my memory serves me right). Again, Ayo is an awesome ball player!!!! But the margins shrink at the next level. A player's quickness is measured against De'Aaron Fox and Russell Westbrook instead of Cassius Winston and Anthony Cowan. Physical traits matter less unless they translate into absolute lockdown defense -- Ayo has shown he can be a good defender, but he hasn't emphasized this part of his game as much. Shooting sub 30% is only acceptable if your last name is Antetokounmpo or Westbrook, and even in the case of the latter, his shooting nearly sunk his career the last few years and ultimately forced a team to build everything around him. I hope all of this analysis is dead wrong, and I hope Ayo is a surefire draft pick whenever it happens. And I hope he taps into all that latent potential he still has, hones his game, and is able to carve out a long career in the NBA. That would be seriously awesome. He certainly has the potential, but I need to see more of it realized before believing he's a surefire rotation player in the league. [/QUOTE]
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Sports
Illini Basketball
Ayo Dosunmu has big decision to make about NBA
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
Accept
Learn more…