The Chicago Bulls are making the best of a bad situation by plugging point guard Kris Dunn into the starting lineup in place of the injured small forward Otto Porter Jr.
Knowing the Chicago Bulls are giving Kris Dunn the opportunity to start is not only a smart decision, but also it is well-deserved.
How, you ask?
Dunn has made a difference in most games he’s played during the 2019-20 season, especially at the defensive end. Don’t just take my word for it. The numbers don’t lie.
Dunn is currently averaging 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
Some critics will argue that Dunn stifles the Bulls’ offense because of his struggles to shoot the ball from deep.
I beg to differ.
Dunn’s ability to force turnovers creates easy offense in the form of fast break opportunities and is disruptive to the offense of many teams. Another thing to note is he’s much improved at handling the ball and finishing around the rim.
Is Dunn ever going to be known as a scoring threat?
I think not.
Still, Dunn deserves a lot of credit for what he does for the team. The Bulls have a top 10 defensive rating in the league, which I believe can be attributed in large part to Dunn. Not to forget to mention Dunn’s name is brought up in conversation more and more around the league with the likes of Marcus Smart and Patrick Beverley.
Some might argue that Dunn’s struggles to shoot from beyond the three-point line still trumps anything he does at the defensive end.
This is where I draw the line in the sand. #TeamDunn
If you’re going to point fingers, you have to take into consideration how well the rest of the team is shooting from beyond the arc. The Bulls, as a team, aren’t very good at scoring from deep.
To be fair, the Bulls are currently playing without one of its best three-point shooters with Otto Porter sidelined due to a foot injury.
At the same time, one thing I like about Dunn is he know his strengths and he plays within himself. It is understood that he’s better finishing around the basket than shooting from beyond the arc.
This is not to say that Dunn doesn’t shoot enough three-pointers or he refuses to take those shots. It’s quite the opposite, actually.
The Bulls have to learn what’s a good shot and what’s a bad shot. If the team can master that, they’ll be better in the long run. Keep in mind that Dunn, much like the rest of the Bulls, is young. He needs time to learn and grow.
Did the Bulls make the right decision early on to bench Dunn?
In my opinion, time will only tell. For now, it appears Dunn is rising to the occasion filling in for Porter.
It’s no secret that Dunn was benched early on because it appeared the Bulls could use more floor spacing with point guard Tomas Satoransky in the starting lineup. Dunn has gone on the record, saying that he’s accepted the back-up point guard role.
Is he genuine?
I think yes. Dunn is a bull in every sense of the word, and I like it.