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Draft Profile: Kris Dunn

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NBA Draft Combine Measurements

Pros/Cons

Why You Might Know Him

Kris Dunn was one of the most highly-touted point guards in the nation for the high school class of 2012, but a recurring shoulder injury kept him sidelined for the majority of his first two years at Providence College. He quickly made up for the lost time, however, as he guided the Friars to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and nabbed back-to-back Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards. The Connecticut native became one of the top facilitators in the country, finishing in the top three in assist percentage during both his redshirt sophomore and junior seasons.

Scouting Report

Possessions Scouted from 2015-16 Season:
OFFENSE: 18.2 percent of possessions
DEFENSE: 18.5 percent of possessions

Kris Dunn is going to get buckets in the NBA. Dunn is an electric two-way player who is explosive with his first step – the quickest first step of the players we’ve profiled. He has a great handle and showcases an array of moves to shake free for jumpers or to slash his way to the basket. He is a patient playmaker both for himself and for others, as he possesses elite vision to go along with accurate passing skills. Dunn reminds me a whole lot of a slightly shorter version of a young Dwyane Wade. He’s smooth, shifty, loves the midrange game and can extend to the 3-point line. His release is smooth and he will be a legitimate threat from long distance in the NBA. With his combination of quickness, shooting ability, slashing ability and passing ability, Dunn will be a very dangerous pick-and-roll player. He is turnover prone, but mostly due to forced passes and being too flashy with the ball. He can and will clean these issues up. Dunn will also be a force at the defensive end. He is a great athlete who possesses elite agility; he oftentimes beats opponents to their spots when they take the ball off the dribble, and he breaks early into passing lanes for steals. His quick hands also help his very high steal rate. Dunn is an active defender who plays with a high motor at that end of the court, and that says a lot about a player who is so talented on offense.

Biography

Kris M. Dunn was born on March 18 1994 in Connecticut to Audra and John Seldon. Dunn attended New London High School in New London, Conn. and completely ran the show for its varsity basketball team. During his junior season in 2010-11, the point guard led the Whalers to a 27-0 record and a Connecticut Class L state title while averaging 26.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 steals per game. The following season, Dunn improved his scoring average to 31.4 PPG, to go along with 12.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 4.0 SPG and 2.0 blocks per game. He earned the 2012 Gatorade Connecticut Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year award and was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic. Dunn’s prolific stat line and collection of high-profile accolades led him to become the nation’s top-ranked point guard for the class of 2012, according to Scout’s and Rivals’ rankings. Dunn spent four years at Providence College, though his first two seasons were marred by injuries. During the summer ahead of his freshman year, Dunn had surgery to repair a torn right labrum, which sidelined him until late-December. He went on to play 25 games upon his return, averaging 5.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.2 APG. Dunn entered his sophomore season with high expectations, however, he re-injured his shoulder and was limited to just a four-game campaign. The shoulder issue subsided from that point forward, as Dunn played all but three games during his next two seasons and emerged as the top player in the Big East. Dunn averaged 15.6 PPG, 7.5 APG, 5.5 RPG and 2.7 SPG during his redshirt sophomore campaign, earning Big East Player of the Year and Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors. He ranked third in the nation in assists, first in assist percentage –assisting on 50.0 percent of his team’s baskets when he was on the floor – and fifth in steals; though he also turned the ball over a nation-high 138 times. Dunn backed up his Player of the Year campaign by tipping off his redshirt junior season with a bang. In the Friars’ season opening win against Harvard, he notched career highs of 32 points and eight steals, to go along with six rebounds, five assists and two blocks. The sneaky guard snagged six or more steals in three of Providence’s first four games. Dunn came close to a quadruple-double during the fourth game of the season against NJIT when he tallied 22 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and seven steals. He then recorded his first career triple-double on Dec. 2 when he collected 16 points a career-high-tying 14 assists and 10 rebounds against Hartford. Dunn’s efforts enabled him to defend his Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year titles, and also earned him a second-team All-America nod. He also performed outstandingly during the NCAA Tournament, guiding 9-seeded Providence to its first March Madness win in 19 years with a victory over USC. Dunn and the Friars were eliminated from the Tournament in the Second Round by 1-seeded North Carolina, but the point guard held his own, scoring 29 of the Friars’ 66 points in the loss. He opted to forgo his final season of eligibility and declared for the NBA Draft on March 22.