The third and final point guard we will cover is Kris Dunn. Kris Dunn comes to the Hawks after less than impressive stints in Minnesota and Chicago. What has his career been like? Where will he fit into this Hawks team? Let’s dissect his game and history.
Player History
Kris Dunn was born in New London, Connecticut and he attended New London High School where he became one of the best point guards in the country. He won a state title his junior year and amassed over 2,000 points in his high school career.
Dunn stayed local and attended Providence for his college basketball career where he became the Friars best player and a future lottery pick. As a DePaul University alum, let me tell you, Kris Dunn was a menace at Providence. He had good size, length, quickness, and was one of the best perimeter defenders in the country.
Kris was drafted 5th overall by the Timberwolves in 2016 and struggled under head coach Tom Thibodeau in his rookie season, mostly buried on the bench. He was subsequently traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. He eventually became the Bulls starting point guard, but he did not live up to the expectations of a 5th overall pick and struggled with nagging injuries. Dunn actually regressed last season statistically (the Bulls were god awful under Jim Boylen) and the Hawks are hoping he can bounce back. Dunn will never be an offensive star, but he can be a defensive specialist in the right rotation, which I think is how the Hawks will use him.
Season Expectations
Kris Dunn enters this season as the clear cut 3rd string point guard. He sits behind Trae Young and Rajon Rondo on the depth chart. Knowing Rajon Rondo’s injury history and his recent NBA championship run with the Lakers, there’s reason to expect Rondo might sit out some games or take a breather. That’s where Dunn can shine. He is an excellent defender who will not be asked to create for others or be a spot up shooter. He can play next to Trae Young and guard the other teams best player so Trae can take a break on defense. He also can come into the game and alleviate Trae Young and run the offense for short stints. His role will mostly focus on distributing the ball, which is fine considering his scoring leaves a lot to be desired.
His defensive versatility is his biggest asset and will surely be a welcome addition to the Hawks rotation given their defensive struggles. I just don’t know how much Kris Dunn will see the floor. The Hawks rotation is a big mystery but the word from camp is that they are buzzing about Kris Dunn’s defense and that providing a spark for the team.
Still with Trae Young and Rondo surely garnering minutes, Kris Dunn will need to play well to earn a spot in this deep rotation the Hawks have procured.
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