Last year, people were calling Tyrese Haliburton the steal of the draft and Tyler Herro before him. With the regular season halfway done, there are several candidates who can claim the moniker and see their value rise up in the market because of it. Some would go for Chris Duarte of the Indiana Pacers while there is a growing segment of the hobby that's rooting for Cam Thomas. In any case, there's one option that can finish the season by surprising everyone in the market – Ayo Donsunmu rookie cards.
Although the rookie race is leaning heavily on guys like Evan Mobley and Cade Cunningham, there's still a special case to be made for Dosunmu to, at least, be recognized in the All-Rookie 2nd Team. The same can also be said with the young guard's stock in the card market with these reasons backing him up.
Ayo Dosunmu rookie cards can thrive thanks to his stellar first year in the NBA
To say that the Chicago Bulls's start this season has been phenomenal is an understatement. With the arrival of DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, the guys from Windy City made a statement on being the best team in the league early on. But as fate would have it, the absence of Ball, Caruso, and to some extent, Zach LaVine, to various injuries has dampened their potential to make a meaningful championship run.
With Ball and Caruso last seen on the court sometime last month, there has been a significant period where their playmaking and defense are sorely missed by the Bulls. This is where Dosunmu comes in. With 18 games as a starter since his teammates went out, the rookie has notched 12.1 points on 52% shooting from the field, 39% from downtown, and 83% from the free throw line. Dosunmu is also posting 4.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.3 steals as the Bulls' starting guard during those contests.
Going beyond the numbers, the 22-year old is running Chicago's offense better than most fans have expected. Keep in mind that he's playing with DeRozan and Vucevic, two high-usage veterans, and making the whole offense work with them.
And if that's not impressive enough, Dosunmu is also taking the assignment of defending the opposing squad's best player on a nightly basis. The rookie possesses an active set of hands and good footwork, two traits he uses to stay in front of any player and steal the ball from them. And with a 6'5″ frame, he can guard multiple positions and make life harder for anyone in the court by being a consistent presence in different passing lanes.
Without a doubt, the Bulls' young star is a vital piece to their efforts to make a deep playoff run this year. With key pieces of the lineup out for the foreseeable future, this is his chance to make an impact and let everyone in the NBA know he's here to stay. If he manages to do that in the remaining regular season games and upcoming playoff matches, more eyes will be on Ayo Dosunmy rookie cards in the market.
Dosunmu is projected to have a clear role with the Chicago Bulls
Without a doubt, the Bulls' starting five has all the talent and potential to challenge the NBA's top-tier teams in both conferences. But nothing is sure in a single season where the injury bug can suddenly hit one or two key pieces to Chicago's lineup. Fortunately, Dosunmu is stepping up to the challenge and making his name known in the process.
Taking a look at the Bulls' backcourt situation and you'll end up with Ball, LaVine, and Caruso taking most of the minutes. After that, the only guy who has sufficient experience is Coby White, a score-first guard. This is where Dosunmu can solidify his role in Chicago.
Since losing the trio of Ball, LaVine, and Caruso at certain points of the season, the rookie has stepped up and contributed well enough on both ends of the floor. This makes him a much better option to field than White when the need arises. And even when those three come back, Dosunmu can return to the bench and still play meaningful minutes when they rest.
In the event Chicago returns to full strength, a starting lineup of Ball, LaVine, DeRozan, Patrick Williams, and Vucevic will surely take the league by storm. And in the minutes these guys are resting, you can be sure Dosunmu will join the likes of Caruso and White to shoulder the load. In this highly-potential scenario, those Ayo Dosunmu rookie cards in the market will end up with a high floor and an even higher ceiling as he develops into a more complete player.
The verdict on Ayo Dosunmu rookie cards
As of this moment, the only rookie stocks of Dosunmu widely available in the market are his NBA Hoops and Donruss Elite cards. A Teal Explosion parallel of the former recently sold for $50 on eBay, which is not bad at all for a guy drafted using the 38th pick.
But as Panini is set to release new card products soon, expect supply to overcome demand at some point. When that happens, the prices of those Ayo Dosunmu rookie cards will normalize.
In any case, the Bulls' young guard is a good player to either collect or invest in. His solid performances as a starter, coupled with a great situation in Chicago, are good reasons to hoard more of his card stock. Just keep an eye on this young stud, especially in the weeks leading up to the announcement of the All-Rookie teams. This can be a potential catalyst to boost his value in the market.
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