When the Timberwolves drafted Kris Dunn with the fifth overall pick in 2016, it seemed like he was poised for big things. Many experts pegged him as an early favorite for Rookie of the Year, and there were a lot of whispers around Minnesota that he might overtake Ricky Rubio as the team’s starting point guard for the future.
But things didn’t exactly go as planned. Instead, like so many other young players, he found himself struggling to earn playing time under Tom Thibodeau, and last summer, he was unceremoniously shipped to Chicago in a package deal that landed the Wolves All-Star guard Jimmy Butler.
In a recent interview with Sam Smith of NBA.com, Dunn opened up about the emotional and psychological toll that experience took on him and how he’s approaching a fresh start with the Bulls.
Via NBA.com:
“Imagine your family coming to watch you play and you’re always sitting on the bench,” Kris Dunn was saying about his jarring rookie season with the Minnesota Timberwolves last year. “That never happened to us before. It was hard. I was almost embarrassed. All my life, my family looked at me as the one, the star. I felt like I was letting everyone down. It was kind of embarrassing. There were times I couldn’t face them after games because I felt like I wasn’t the person they were used to seeing.”
It’s safe to say that Dunn is making the most of his new opportunity. He’s averaging 11.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game on 42.9 percent shooting from the field and 42.5 percent from three-point land in just over 26 minutes of action, all of which are marked improvements from his rookie season.
As the Bulls organization continues to rebuild around its younger talent, Dunn is carving out his niche as a player who can be a big part of their core group as they look toward the future.
(NBA.com)
