The Kris Dunn thread

[Sugarless]

Agreed. But let remember those two have PF size, like George or Giannis too, for which would be good have a bigger wing than Wiggins who can slide to the 4, specially talking about phisicallity. I think that Isaac could do a good job with some pounds and experience under his belt. He would be skinny anyway but taller and more active in the defensive side.

If Isaac could do it with more pounds and physicality, why couldn't Wiggins?

We can only guess how Isaac will turn out as a pro, but you can bet your ass Wiggins is not going to become a physical defender coming into his 4th year in the league. It's not about weight, length and strength (which he doesn't possess either), it's about mindset.

Maybe he gets it later in his career, towards the second half when he's a veteran and he needs to begin to change his game and compensate for the loss in other areas. But that's not what you're going to see in the next few years.

[PharmD]

Agree.

And Brit Robson has suggested that he may eventually be able to guard even 3's!

I would roll my eyes if someone else said it, but ... Brit Robson!

Pretty sure Thibs has suggested it too. (don't ask me when, because I don't remember)

Doesn't mean they'll send him out Day 1 to cover LeBron or Durant, but I think there are plenty of SFs Dunn would be just fine covering.

He did just fine guarding Giannis.

[Krapinsky]

Agreed. But let remember those two have PF size, like George or Giannis too, for which would be good have a bigger wing than Wiggins who can slide to the 4, specially talking about phisicallity. I think that Isaac could do a good job with some pounds and experience under his belt. He would be skinny anyway but taller and more active in the defensive side.

If Isaac could do it with more pounds and physicality, why couldn't Wiggins?

We can only guess how Isaac will turn out as a pro, but you can bet your ass Wiggins is not going to become a physical defender coming into his 4th year in the league. It's not about weight, length and strength (which he doesn't possess either), it's about mindset.

Maybe he gets it later in his career, towards the second half when he's a veteran and he needs to begin to change his game and compensate for the loss in other areas. But that's not what you're going to see in the next few years.

I feel like we've seen glimpses where he's dialed in and the mindset is there, but he hasn't been unable to sustain it over any significant period of time. I think if we insert the right veteran or two into the starting lineup to set the tone defensively, that could go a long way toward changing the mindset of our franchise players and the culture of the team as a whole.

I think that's what Flip recognized and believed in when he traded a draft pick for KG and signed Prince and Miller. He thought those guys would have an impact on the development of our young players that would outweigh the value of a late first and another roster spot for a developmental player. Unfortunately, Thibs either doesn't have the same philosophy or thinks he can do it all himself.

[PharmD]

He traded 2 months of an expiring Thad Young for KG

[Hoopz Afrik]

I'd like him to gain 6-8 pounds of muscle, work on fouling less and offensively focus on improving his finishing around the rim and shooting the 3 from three or four spots.

So pretty much turn into Marcus Smart (with the 3 point shot)

[wildvikeswolves]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

I hope Dunn can prove a lot of people (just about everyone) wrong

[Dewey]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

I hope Dunn can prove a lot of people (just about everyone) wrong

ya all he has to do for most here is simply be a "starter" with some cute passes, few long-3's, and dunk.

[Paxson43]

Just wanted to get ya'lls impression on this kid. Is he more of a 'good character' kind of guy, or a bit of a 'punk'?

Do you think he's a hard worker, or is he kind of floating by on natural talent?

How do you think he'll perform getting ~30 minutes/game in a system that's designed to push tempo/pace?


Thanks in advance!

[shrink]

Just wanted to get ya'lls impression on this kid. Is he more of a 'good character' kind of guy, or a bit of a 'punk'?

Do you think he's a hard worker, or is he kind of floating by on natural talent?

How do you think he'll perform getting ~30 minutes/game in a system that's designed to push tempo/pace?


Thanks in advance!

Good character. Not a punk. He may even be the rare NBA player that doesn't seem to have tattoos, if that's worth anything. Very hard worker, and you see it on his defense.

He was just very raw, and indecisive. He'll get better - all young PG's struggle in the NBA. I'd be scared to give him 30 minutes though. He's got so much to learn, that you may not want to rush. He also needs to fix that shot. But a very good kid to build on.

[Paxson43]

Just wanted to get ya'lls impression on this kid. Is he more of a 'good character' kind of guy, or a bit of a 'punk'?

Do you think he's a hard worker, or is he kind of floating by on natural talent?

How do you think he'll perform getting ~30 minutes/game in a system that's designed to push tempo/pace?


Thanks in advance!

Good character. Not a punk. He may even be the rare NBA player that doesn't seem to have tattoos, if that's worth anything. Very hard worker, and you see it on his defense.

He was just very raw, and indecisive. He'll get better - all young PG's struggle in the NBA. I'd be scared to give him 30 minutes though. He's got so much to learn, that you may not want to rush. He also needs to fix that shot. But a very good kid to build on.

Thanks man, my Bulls are in a full tank mode so I have no problem throwing this kid to the, uh, wolves (pun not intended), and letting him average 30 minutes a game. Our other option is Cameron Payne (just threw up in my mouth a little).

If there's one thing I trust Hoiberg with it's improving a player's shot -- he's done it with just about every member of our roster since he took over, most notably Jerian Grant and Rajon Rondo.

[mplsfonz23]

Just wanted to get ya'lls impression on this kid. Is he more of a 'good character' kind of guy, or a bit of a 'punk'?

Do you think he's a hard worker, or is he kind of floating by on natural talent?

How do you think he'll perform getting ~30 minutes/game in a system that's designed to push tempo/pace?


Thanks in advance!

Good character. Not a punk. He may even be the rare NBA player that doesn't seem to have tattoos, if that's worth anything. Very hard worker, and you see it on his defense.

He was just very raw, and indecisive. He'll get better - all young PG's struggle in the NBA. I'd be scared to give him 30 minutes though. He's got so much to learn, that you may not want to rush. He also needs to fix that shot. But a very good kid to build on.

Pretty much spot on.

I think he was torn between trying to play his game, and trying to please Thibs a learn his system. Like Shrink said, 30 mins is a lot to trust him with, but it may accelerate his growth. He's fairly old for a rookie/2nd year player, but I see a lot of good years ahead of him.
I just hope he doesn't become too good, then the trade may look a little worse.

[Worm Guts]

He was just very raw, and indecisive. He'll get better - all young PG's struggle in the NBA. I'd be scared to give him 30 minutes though. He's got so much to learn, that you may not want to rush. He also needs to fix that shot. But a very good kid to build on.

I wouldn't be scared to play him 30 minutes. I think he'd get better, faster if he played. He seemed to play better for the Wolves when he started. I think he just needs to overall adjust to the speed of the game. His shot is an issue, but he definitely already has a man's body.

[Maefteda]

I'm way higher on him than most Wolves fans. He came back from surgeries in college and became a really good player for Providence. His backstory is also very interesting, with how he lived only with his older brother for a while, getting by on gambling and playing basketball for money. I think he is a high character kid, those are usually the guys Thibs goes for in the draft.

He was old for a rookie, so everyone expected him to be a starting caliber PG right out of the gate, especially since he played so well in Summer League. But learning an NBA offense is hard and being Ricky Rubio's backup is really hard as well. With time he can be at least serviceable offensively, he has the skills and athleticism for it, he just needs to get acclimated to the league. He is definitely best in transition, so it would be cool if he gets to run a lot for you guys.

Defensively he'll become a beast. He was actually a good defender last year, which is super rare for rookies who are not bigs. He is big enough to switch onto wings and had a couple of games where he just kept grabbing the ball straight from the opposition.

This game best shows Kris Dunn's upside:

Watch on YouTube

It was a frustrating season last year, so it's only natural Dunn got his share of the blame as Thibs biggest off-season acquisition and a threat to Rubio's starting spot. Just look at the reaction Jeff Teague's signing got (including from me ). We really love Ricky, but I really liked Dunn as well and was sad to see him go along with Zach, who was probably my personal favorite Wolf last season. Loving the avatar btw.

[Paxson43]

Just wanted to get ya'lls impression on this kid. Is he more of a 'good character' kind of guy, or a bit of a 'punk'?

Do you think he's a hard worker, or is he kind of floating by on natural talent?

How do you think he'll perform getting ~30 minutes/game in a system that's designed to push tempo/pace?


Thanks in advance!

Good character. Not a punk. He may even be the rare NBA player that doesn't seem to have tattoos, if that's worth anything. Very hard worker, and you see it on his defense.

He was just very raw, and indecisive. He'll get better - all young PG's struggle in the NBA. I'd be scared to give him 30 minutes though. He's got so much to learn, that you may not want to rush. He also needs to fix that shot. But a very good kid to build on.

Pretty much spot on.

I think he was torn between trying to play his game, and trying to please Thibs a learn his system. Like Shrink said, 30 mins is a lot to trust him with, but it may accelerate his growth. He's fairly old for a rookie/2nd year player, but I see a lot of good years ahead of him.
I just hope he doesn't become too good, then the trade may look a little worse.

You guys won the trade man, Butler is established as a top 15 player and we'll be lucky if one of LaVine, Dunn, Markkanen becomes anything close to that. My hope is that what Hoiberg wants to stress -- team basketball -- will make those three players' sum better than their individual parts.