Ayo Dosunmu Opens Can of Worms with Comments on Chicago Bulls' Shot Selection

In the starting lineup for the first time since joining the Minnesota Timberwolves at the NBA trade deadline, Ayo Dosunmu did what he does best.

The guard filled in for superstar Anthony Edwards with the kind of efficient scoring night Chicago Bulls fans grew accustomed to. He dropped 19 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists on 9-17 shooting from the field. His balanced 34 minutes of action came through huge for a Timberwolves squad still fighting to move up the West standings. This is especially true when we consider they took down the Phoenix Suns, who were a mere 2.0 games behind Minnesota coming into the night.

Once again, it was the kind of impactful night that every member of the Bulls universe knew Dosunmu could have. But it was how he went about things that led to quite the interesting response after the game.

Dosunmu went 3-3 on his mid-range buckets on Tuesday. When speaking with reporters after the win, he spoke to the freedom he feels to play his game under new head coach Chris Finch.

“I really appreciate him not necessarily allowing me to be the new NBA – all just threes and layups. Of course, you have to be able to take threes to win in this league," Dosunmu told reporters. "But, at the same time, when you have the ability to be a three-level scorer – just keep the defense on their heels, off balance – I think that really plays a huge part for me with my speed … That mid-range area is a shot I’ve been taking my whole life.”

All things considered, it was hard not to hear those words and think back to his time in Chicago. Did he not feel the freedom to play his game under head coach Billy Donovan? Were the Bulls running a style of play he didn't believe best fit his skill set?

While Dosunmu didn't field those specific questions, he opened a bigger can of worms when directly speaking to the Bulls' taste in shot selection.

"In Chicago, mid-range shots were really prohibited. It was threes and layups. No mid-range shots unless the end of the shot clock," Dosunmu went on to say. "Here, we got Rudy. He’s setting big screens. If you can set up pick-and-roll and you’re coming off Rudy, you’re open. So yeah you have that three-ball off the pick-and-roll, but at the same time getting the paint, that 15 to 17 foot jumper, that’s a makable shot. I think I can make that shot. That, my floater, and just mixing it up.”

Let's first make something very clear: I don't think Ayo Dosunmu is purposefully calling out his former head coach. He and Billy Donovan had a great relationship by all accounts. However, does that mean they had to agree on everything? Dosunmu clearly felt restricted at times by the way the Bulls wanted to run their offense, and the numbers surely back that up.

Ayo Dosunmu of the Chicago Bulls — Mar 17, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu (13) shoots against the Phoenix Suns in the third quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Since arriving in Minnesota, Dosunmu has taken 18 mid-range jumpers over his 15 games played. This is TRIPLE the number of mid-range shots he took during his first 45 games with the Bulls this season, per NBA Stats. Talk about a staggering change in shot selection!

Also, for what it's worth, this isn't the first time we have gotten wind of Billy Donovan's coaching staff forbidding the mid-range jumper. Matas Buzelis was asked about his "welcome to the NBA moment" during an appearance on The Young Man & The Three in 2025. He proceeded to tell a story about making a baseline middy, only to be called out the next day during a film session.

“We do a lot with numbers and analytics and stuff like that. I remember one time I was driving baseline and I bumped like a Shai shoulder. And I was close to the rim. He backed off because I hit him pretty hard. I shot a mid-range, and the next day it was on the film," Buzelis explained on the podcast appearance. "And Billy was like take that sh*t and throw it in the trash. I’m like, ‘damn, that’s my shot.’ Everyone is in there. Your heart like drops like ‘oh dang, I’m not going to shoot that again.’ That’s the thing about Billy, he’s going to be straight up with you. You have to respect it.”

To be clear, Buzelis was all smiles during his recollection of the event and expressed an understanding of where his head coach was coming from. But it still speaks to the broader question at hand: Should the Bulls be sending this strict a message about shot selection?

Their 28-40 record may give us our answer!

Are the Bulls Making a Mistake with Mid-Range Mindset?

Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls — Mar 16, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan argues a call against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Billy Donovan is not completely against the mid-range jumper. And we can say that with a decent level of certainty! We need to go back only a couple of seasons to find a Bulls team that was leading the NBA in that department, thanks to the duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. Donovan has always been a coach who adjusts his system to fit his personnel. Both his former All-Stars were respected mid-range threats, especially DeRozan.

For years, fans and analysts alike called upon the Bulls to shoot more triples. They believed the organization needed to take a step into the 21st century, and this is exactly what they've done over the last couple of seasons. They shot the third-highest number of threes in the NBA last season and have ranked Top 7 in 2025-26. In other words, it would be hypocritical to sit here and criticize Donovan too heavily for making this sharp adjustment in play style.

With that said, there has to be a happy medium, right? While I think we can all understand a reluctance to let young players settle for typically low-percentage jumpers, every player is different. Dosunmu is actually the perfect example of someone who came into the NBA with a proven track record from the mid-range. He was a pull-up artist at Illinois and relied heavily on this area of the floor. We even watched him enter the league and shoot 52.5 percent on mid-range buckets during his rookie campaign.

Did Dosunmu's efficiency take a hit in Year 2? Yes. He went just 37.5 percent on these looks before shooting 44.8 percent in Year 3. The guard took 50+ attempts in both those seasons, only to see that number drop to a staggering 2-8 shooting in 2024-25.

The results may have been up and down, but it was clearly a part of Dosunmu's game that he felt comfortable with. Removing that entirely from his repertoire feels a bit counterintuitive when it comes to building a player's confidence and developing their all-around skills. Dosunmu may need to understand that he can't live in that area of the floor, but why deter a player from taking an open shot if it's there?

Indeed, this feels especially important as we consider the ongoing development of Matas Buzelis. Someone who has the frame to drain shots over smaller opponents, the mid-range was very much a part of his pre-NBA game. If the whole point is to turn him into one of your star pieces, allowing him to create at all three levels feels essential.

I think we can all understand why the volume of mid-range attempts has dropped so drastically around the league over the years. Working more on your three-point jumper as opposed to a mid-range shot quite literally leads to more points. Likewise, forcing your way to the rim at least increases your percentage of scoring, whether it be because you're closer to the cup or more likely to draw a shooting foul. Still, the pendulum can swing too far in one direction, and Dosunmu's comments have given us reason to believe that's happened in Chicago.

What say you, Billy Donovan?

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