The Chicago Bulls' position atop the Eastern Conference may be in jeopardy soon. Zach LaVine is sidelined with a knee injury and Lonzo Ball will be out for at least a month due to a meniscus tear that requires surgery.

Fortunately for the Bulls, they have a strong option to fill in for Ball. Ayo Dosunmu, a rookie out of Illinois, has the defensive chops and passing abilities to fill in for the veteran floor general. Recently, DeRozan spoke proudly of Dosunmu, praising his maturity.

Per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago:

“For him to be on a great team, for one, the presence that he brings, you wouldn’t think he’s a rookie. You’ve got to be special to carry yourself that type of way. It’s not in an arrogant way because he’s one of those guys that’s inquisitive, always asking questions, always consistently trying to find ways to learn.”

In Chicago's last three games, Dosunmu has started each one and averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on insane shooting splits (76.7 percent shooting, including 70 percent on 3-pointers). DeRozan continued:

“He accepts his mistakes. He holds himself accountable. And that’s big for a young guy to be able to do that. The confidence he has within himself is amazing. And you see it when he goes out there and plays. He’s just always ready for the big moment. Before anything offensively, he takes on challenges defensively.”

Even with LaVine trending in a positive direction, Dosunmu will have to keep up his stellar level of play. Those shooting splits will come down eventually but he should still be able to impact the game. The Bulls rookie stepping up when his team needs it the most is a great sign of things to come.