Not Dunn Yet
Kris Dunn is emerging, but could it be a flash in the pan?
Sitting through an entire game of the rebuilding Bulls can be a merciless experience. It’s also a constant intrigue.
Kris Dunn is better at basketball than I thought, and outside of rookie sensation Lauri Markkanen, he may be the most interesting player on the entire roster, thanks in part to the varying range of performances he is able to concoct.
Two games is all Dunn needs to showcase the entire gamut of possibilities he projects to be.
In a 92–79 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dunn was woeful, scoring three points on 1-of-11 shooting, with little value added elsewhere.
Fast forward two nights and the equation changes entirely. Dunn was the catalyst in an impressive 123–120 win over the Charlotte Hornets, exploding for an unlikely 22-point performance, taking over in the fourth quarter and leading the team with an all-around dominant performance, setting numerous career highs in the process.
This is what rebuilding looks like: deflating performances nestled amongst random bursts of eye-popping play. That has been true for Dunn, and working out what is real and what is noise is part of the challenge when evaluating raw athletes trying to transition into sound basketball players.
There is a trend emerging, though. Thankfully, a positive one.
Ignoring the poor showing against the Thunder, Dunn has amassed a string of quality performances, averaging 16 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.8 steals in his previous five games.
Perhaps omitting his numbers from the Thunder game is a symptom of searching for and manufacturing a silver lining. Still, more than not, Dunn has been highly effective over the last two weeks. A random positive sample is all this may prove to be, or it could be the beginning of Dunn’s emergence as a quality starting point guard.
Despite the impressive numbers, existing pertinent questions surrounding Dunn’s game remain.
The recent hot shooting numbers will undoubtedly normalize. Dunn is not a 50 percent shooter, and most certainly is not someone who projects to be a 40 percent or more 3-point shooter. How will he respond when his jumper is not falling? The 19-foot pull-up jumper out of pick-and-roll action has looked surprisingly crisp, but is there an ability to score at the rim or get to the free throw line if shots start rimming out? Shooting 60 percent at the rim is encouraging, but 35 attempts in 10 games isn’t a lot, and 0.6 free throw attempts per game certainly is minuscule.
Game to game, turnovers have been an issue, and likely will remain one for the foreseeable future. More playing time may help in developing ball skills, or not — it’s entirely possible he will remain a turnover prone player.
Sloppy handles are one thing, and can be fixed, but turnovers forced by questionable decision making are harder to iron out.
Time will tell if plays like this are just sophomore slip ups. What is clear, though, is momentum heavily favors Dunn in supplanting Jerian Grant as the team’s starting point guard. Coach Fred Hoiberg likes Dunn off the bench, citing his burst of energy as a welcome need for the second unit. Though that may be the case, at some point the more talented prospect deserves to have an increased role.
Even then, trying to decipher who the real Dunn is, or what type of player his current skill set projects him to be, will continue to be a fascinating task. The physical tools are evident. The on-ball defense and ability to manufacture steals has clearly transferred from the college game to the pros. The jump shot is still mechanically uncertain, even if shooting percentages indicate an improved conversion rate. An endeavour to create and facilitate has often been marred by a loose handle and a mind working faster than the body.
There is a player in Dunn, a better one than I envisioned. He’s an athlete, raw and unfinished, and clearly possesses elements in his game which will allow him to serve as a competent rotational player. That’s the baseline. He has shown as much already in his short Bulls career.
Now it’s all about reaching his ceiling.