Is Kris Dunn The Perfect Fit For The Minnesota Timberwolves?

Kris Dunn is the first pick in the Tom Thibodeau era for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but is he a good fit?

The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Providence point guard Kris Dunn with the fifth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He didn’t end up with the Wolves without some drama, beginning with the Boston Celtics keeping their third overall pick and drafting Cal forward Jaylen Brown, instead of drafting Dunn or trading their pick to a team that wanted him.

In fact, the Wolves’ phone lines were being tied up by the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls, who were looking to get Dunn, according to The Vertical‘s Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania. A potential deal with the Bulls would have been cenered around Jimmy Butler and Zach LaVine, but the Wolves declined.

Alas, the Wolves have Dunn and he will back up Ricky Rubio (for now). Of course, Rubio has been shopped around during the week leading up to the draft, according to Wojnarowski who added that “[Rubio’s] future in Minnesota is likely coming to an end.” So it’s still a very fluid situation with the Wolves.

Keeping Dunn gives the Wolves an interesting prospect moving forward. He is the two-time Big East Player of the Year after proving to be a playmaker on offense and an excellent defender.

Dunn, 22, scored 16.4 points per game during his senior season with a shooting line of .448/.372/.695. He isn’t known to be a great shooter, but he does have the ability to expand his range.

Dunn is 6-foot-4 and has ideal height for the point guard position. Offensively he will be able to see over defenders and exploit passing lanes. At Providence he had a 50.0 percent assist rate in his junior season and a 41.8 percent assist rate during his senior season. He can also take the ball to the paint and finish off of pick-and-rolls.

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Using his height allows Dunn to explode around the rim. His quickness also will help the Wolves push the ball up the court in transition with the ability to set teammates up for easy looks around the basket or taking it himself.

Defensively Dunn is a dream at the point guard position. His size is going to be a major factor in being physical. He also has the lateral quickness to stay in front of the quicker point guards. He has the ability to jump into passing lanes and start the fast break, as indicated by his 2.5 steals per game during his senior season.

Dunn’s turnover rate was 18.8 percent during his senior season with a usage rate of 28.0, which is an area where he will need to improve. He could become a lethal playmaker if he can learn to limit his turnovers in the NBA, and who better to coach him up than Thibodeau, whose main goals are to limit turnovers and improve defensively?

The Wolves were the eighth worst team in turnovers last season with a total of 1,231 turnovers, averaging out to 15.0 per game.

Dunn should help cut down on turnovers, since Zach LaVine won’t be handling the ball as much. LaVine had a 23.5 usage rate and a 12.9 turnover rate, which is down from his 20.0 rate in his rookie season.

Defensively the Wolves were the seventh worst team in the points allowed per game, allowing 106.0 points per game. Opponents shot 47.1 percent from the field, which was third worst. That includes opponents shooting 52.0 percent from inside the arc, also third worst.

Dunn will improve the team’s defense. His combination of length and quickness will keep opposing ball handlers from penetrating and creating easy looks. It will also allow the Wolves to defend the pick-and-roll better thanks to his ability to read screens and defend them properly.

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Is it fair to say that Kris Dunn is a perfect fit for the Timberwolves? It appears that way, but nobody will be sure until three or four years down the road when he’s at the end of his rookie contract.

Dunn’s potential is high, considering he has the highest ceiling in the draft depending on who you talk to. The Wolves are fortunate to have him fall into their hands with the fifth overall pick.