Last week, we examined the Sixers’ likely top two targets in the upcoming NBA draft in Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram. After those two, the draft could become a bit murky. As of now, the three slot on any draft board differs between a numbers of guys. Providence point guard, Kris Dunn, is one of the prospects who has played his way into that conversation. The junior decided to stay in college after a quality sophomore campaign, and will look to cash in on that patience in this year’s draft. Here’s a little more about the star guard.
Profile:
Kris Dunn, PG
6’4” 220 lbs
Projected NBA Pick: Top 3
Strengths:
There’s a lot to like with Kris Dunn. His combination of size and athleticism give him the qualities that are quite John Wall-like. He does not have the lightning quickness that the former Kentucky star possesses, but he can move extraordinarily well for his frame.
Dunn is a do-it-all point guard. His passing ability rivals any other guard in the country, while he can also leave defenders in the dust with his first step. His ball handling is another plus, and although that is usually an inherent quality of a college point guard, add it to his size and athleticism, and you have a makeup of a dangerous offensive threat. In addition, Dunn is not afraid to bang down low with the big boys, posting pretty impressive rebound totals for a 6’4” point guard (5.6 rpg). Lastly the Providence junior plays sound defense, and his swift instincts lead to many turnovers (2.8 steals per game).
Usually with all around players like this, they are good at everything but do nothing great. Dunn is not the norm. Sure he can do a little bit of everything but he does have some aspects of great in his game.
Weaknesses:
Like John Wall in his College days, Dunn’s biggest weakness is his jump shot..something a Sixers PG would definitely need consistency with. That should not necessarily be too much of a red flag because he is still young, but the NBA today sort of revolves around elite shooters. There is hope however. Take one look at Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, or John Wall in college, and you see guys who were not great shooters, but, similar to Dunn, they could blow by people with their athleticism. Each of those guys are now stars in the Association.
Another concern is his durability (playing just 29 games in first two seasons), and with the Sixers, we have seen the ups (Noel) and downs (Embiid) of drafting injury prone players.
Lastly, and this again is something that can be quickly fixed, Dunn turns the ball over. A lot of young point guards do not exactly possess the wizardry of Steve Nash, though Dunn must improve his decision making if he wants to move to the next level of his game.
Fit With Sixers:
Kris Dunn could either be selected by the Sixers in two ways: The Sixers fall to 3rd in the lottery and they miss out on Ingram or Simmons; or the Lakers slide to 4th and the Sixers are awarded two top four picks. Obviously the latter is the preferred method of acquiring Dunn’s services, but nonetheless, Dunn would be a solid addition to the Sixers core.
Dunn would give Brett Brown a point guard of the future, and one who’s potential could land him in many All Star games. As it was mentioned with Simmons, Dunn’s lack of shooting ability is concerning because a shooter would complement Okafor perfectly. Nevertheless, Dunn’s other talents would certainly not be wasted. His ability to get to the basket would free up guys like Stauskas and any other shooter the Sixers can acquire. Furthermore, defense is becoming more and more important from the point guard position as there are so many quality offensive guards. Having a dynamic point guard is paramount for any contender and Dunn could ultimately provide that. In the best case scenario, getting Dunn and Ingram/Simmons would astronomically speed up the Process, giving the Sixers potentially five, high upside, building blocks.
photo credit: Mike DiNovo/USA TODAY Sports
