NBA Draft 2016: Ranking The Top 10 Point Guards
By Jake Fielder
The list of truly elite point guard prospects starts and ends with Kris Dunn. An absolute physical specimen, he has been highly regarded since coming out of high school (Rivals.com No. 10 overall player in the 2012 class). Four years later, Dunn is continuing to make good on his potential, looming as a tantalizing prospect for any team picking in the top six or seven picks of the draft.
Dunn is an unbelievable two-way talent. He excels on the offensive end in the pick-and-roll, devastating defenders with an otherworldly blend of acceleration and play recognition.
His first step is faster than the vast majority of guards that he will square off against, and any hopes of slowing him down by doubling will result in him zipping a precision pass into the paint for an easy two points.
Teams attempted to switch on these plays in an effort to slow him down but Dunn’s size/speed combination usually made teams pay anyways, simply due to a lack of personnel that could keep up with his physical gifts.
Defensively, Dunn is every bit as devastating. His steal numbers, over three per 40 minutes, are a huge indicator of his next-level timing and play recognition but do not tell the entire story. Watching the tape, you’ll see a player who has already figured out how to use his length and wingspan to become an absolute menace on defense.
While he does have the occasional lapse in concentration, Dunn should be able to step into the league right away and hold his own defensively.
That being said, Dunn isn’t perfect. His jump shot is streaky at best and he will definitely need some coaching to smooth that part of his game out. I don’t think it’s out of the question that he can develop a solid mid-range game, but I don’t think we’ll ever look at him as a marksman. Dunn also struggles with turnovers.
While he is an incredible passer, he is prone to trying to do too much and will lose an errant dribble or ill-advised cross court pass.
Nonetheless, any team would be lucky to get a player of this caliber into their back court rotation. At 6’4” tall, 205 pounds, with a 6’9” wingspan it’s not hard to see why some scouts are comparing him to John Wall already. Dunn will likely end up closer to Rajon Rondo than Wall, but all things considered, that’s pretty outstanding for any team that lands him.
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He is best suited for a team that likes to run (Dunn is incredible in transition) and that will use plenty of screens to free him to attack the hoop.