Kris Dunn’s Las Vegas Game Is A Winner
By Ben Standig
Special to BIGEAST.com
LAS VEGAS -- Kris Dunn handled his first NBA Summer League duties this month head on. That's not just noting the former Providence point guard's court vision. That's not simply a reference to the Minnesota Timberwolves rookie's attacking drives despite constant defensive attention.
Whether the basketball was in his hands or he had microphones in his face, whether he dealt with comparisons to NBA All-Star John Wall or questions about moving on from the BIG EAST, Dunn remained focused and confident.
Minnesota's opponents sent double teams in Dunn's direction. Smart move. The physically robust player was the fifth overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft for a reason, or 20. Among them, the ability to punish those double teams.
Send a bigger player his way and the 6-foot-4 guard with sprinters speed, like the Washington Wizards' Wall, can simply shift into turbo gear in pursuit of daylight. What stood out during Dunn's two-game performance on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus was his willingness to play in traffic, using his running back physique to power past and over defenders of all shapes and sizes.
"Just showing everybody I'm a competitor," Dunn said. "I'm never going to back down from anybody."
He averaged 24.0 points on 54 percent shooting in two games for the Timberwolves before the team held him out with concussion symptoms.
Two games were more than enough for the two-time BIG EAST Player of the Year to show what all the fuss is about.
"Kris is a great player," Timberwolves guard Tyus Jones said. "He can fill it up. He can get to the rack. He can knockdown the midrange [jumper], hit the outside shot. He commands a lot of attention. He's just a big time playmaker."
Dunn showed growth even from game to game in Las Vegas.
"I thought he let things come to him a little more," Timberwolves summer league coach Ryan Saunders said after Dunn had 21 points, nine rebounds and four assists during an 82-80 loss to Toronto on July 10. "I thought he was much more composed today."
That Saunders also coached Wall in 2010 during the three-time All-Star's rookie season in Washington puts him in the unique position to address the comparison Dunn received throughout the draft process.
"I do [see it]," Saunders said. "I want to preface it by saying John Wall is an All-Star. I don't want to put any type of pressure on anybody like that or takeaway anything John has done because he's worked hard to get to that point. But there were some similarities in their first couple of training camp practices."
Those similarities, per Saunders, weren't just about the impressive traits, but growing pains, like making comfortable reads in pick-and-roll situations. "John has gotten better, obviously, and Kris has gotten better as time has gone on in practices."
That aspect of the game is where the point guard feels he'll ultimately thrive on the NBA level.
"The pick and roll position, trying to get people involved, trying to get my own shot," Dunn said. "I think because the floor is so spaced I can create for myself a little more. In college, there were one, two, three guys around me. I think I'll have a lot more opportunity."
Dunn did plenty with the opportunities he had in Providence during his junior and final season, including leading the Friars to 24 wins and a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. He finished seventh in the BIG EAST in scoring (16.4), second in assists (6.2) and first in steals (2.5). When it comes to being named Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year as a guard, Dunn is second to none.
When it came to expressing how playing three years in the BIG EAST prepared him for the NBA, Dunn came strong with his answer.
"I think the physical part of it," he said. "Just working out hard with the coaching staff, in the weight room. I think it really helped me with the physical part of it.
"But I still have to learn the mental part of the game. I mean, I'm very knowledgeable. I know the college game very well, but the NBA is way different than college."
That may sound obvious, but plenty of hot shots enter the pros thinking they have all the answers. Dunn, who joins an intriguing Minnesota squad led by reigning Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns and veteran point guard Ricky Rubio, knows enough to know he doesn't, not yet.
"I know it's going to be a roller coaster ride throughout the season. I'm going to have some good games and some bad games," Dunn said. "You just have to improve. I understand I'm just a rookie. I still have a lot more to learn about the game." He added, "I think once you learn the game, things start to slow down."
When things start to slow down for Providence's former main man, Minnesota's opponents will see a point guard coming right at them, head on.