Kris Dunn Season Stats:
Second-year guard Kris Dunn was a player the Bulls liked coming out out of the 2016 NBA Draft. He was a composed, fiery leader of a good Providence team in college, a two-time Big East Player of the Year and Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Picked at #5 overall by Minnesota, Dunn struggled to get consistent minutes with the Timberwolves and was himself unhappy with his rookie performance. Coming over to the Bulls (along with Zach LaVine and the rights to Lauri Markkanen) in the trade that sent Jimmy Butler north to Minnesota, gave Dunn new life as he had a chance to start and play for a new team.
Dunn made the most of this opportunity to say the least. He had a huge bounceback year, establishing himself as a true young talent and a potential cornerstone of the team moving forward. Dunn flashed an improved scoring touch, an advanced defensive game (he was among the league leaders in steals) and a vocal style that lent itself to being a leader. He was selected for the Rising Stars Challenge at All Star Weekend and wasn’t afraid of the moment down the stretch of games. Despite a season in which freak, nagging injuries (including a concussion on a nasty fall and a toe injury down the stretch) cost him 30 games, Dunn showed himself to be a bright piece of the Bulls future.
Let’s take a look at some of his best individual games this season:
January 5, AT Dallas Mavericks (Bulls 127, Mavs 124)
Playing on the road in an up-tempo game, Dunn was on fire on this night. Matched up against highly-regarded rookie Dennis Smith Jr., Dunn couldn’t be stopped, hitting 12 of his 17 shots en route to a career-high 32 points, dropping nine dimes and tallying four steals.
Dunn Stat Line: 32 points (12-17 FG), 4-5 3PT, 9 assists, 4 steals, 2 rebounds
December 26, AT Milwaukee Bucks (Bulls 115, Bucks 106)
The Bulls caught fire in December as they began to get healthy, and started a run of wins against good teams, including this road win over the Bucks. Dunn had an unbelievable stat line of 20 points, 12 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks – the only Bulls player since Michael Jordan to put up that stat line, and only the 18th player to ever achieve that stat line in an NBA game. Oh, and by the way – he was a big reason the Bulls pulled away in the 4th for this road win.
Dunn Stat Line: 20 points (9-17 FG), 12 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 2 rebounds
December 9, VS New York Knicks (Bulls 104, Knicks 102)
Dunn was never afraid to have the ball in his hands down the stretch, and this game was a perfect example. After a tough, hard-fought and back and forth game on this Saturday night in December, Dunn capped off stat-stuffing game (17 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) by nailing two cold-blooded free throws with 2 seconds left that broke a tie and ultimately gave the Bulls the win. Dunn’s confidence is next level.
Dunn Stat Line: 17 points (6-11 FG), 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 steals