Kris Dunn recorded five steals against the Utah Jazz in the Clippers' 115-103 victory, reminding everyone why the LA Clippers bet on the former All-Defensive Team guard despite injury concerns. Combined with James Harden's four steals, the Clippers turned defense into offense all night, creating the exact type of havoc that's fueled their 16-3 run since the middle of December.
Dunn swung this game; last year, it felt impossible for a non-superstar to have a signature performance like this. Championship teams, like the Clippers, need role players who can take over games in ways that don't show up in the scoring column.
Dunn's defensive intensity has transformed the Clippers' perimeter defense. Early in the season, he looked like a shell of himself, struggling with the same defensive lapses that plagued him during the disastrous 6-21 start. But as the rotation stabilized and his role became clear, Dunn rediscovered the form that made him one of the league's premier guard defenders.
Kris Dunn's intensity returned, which fueled his entire performance
Simply put, Kris Dunn is an absolute menace on defense. His ability to pressure the ball, navigate screens, and anticipate passing lanes has given the LA Clippers something they desperately lacked early in the season: a legitimate point-of-attack defender who can slow down elite guards.
This matters enormously as the schedule gets tougher. The Clippers face 11 playoff teams in their next 12 games, including three back-to-backs. Without elite perimeter defense, teams like the Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets will pick them apart. With Dunn playing at this level, the Clippers have a legitimate chance to not just survive that stretch but thrive.
Dunn's defensive prowess also takes pressure off Kawhi Leonard. Instead of having to guard the opponent's best perimeter player for 35+ minutes, Leonard can conserve energy and focus on the offensive side of the ball.
Kris Dunn's defense had an impact beyond just steals
The five-steal performance tells only part of the story. Kris Dunn's defensive impact goes beyond the stat sheet; he disrupts offensive flow, forces uncomfortable passes, and makes life miserable for ball handlers. His physicality and intensity set the tone defensively, turning the LA Clippers from a team that opponents attacked into one they genuinely fear.
When Derrick Jones Jr. returns from injury, the Clippers will have two elite perimeter defenders to throw at opponents. That one-two punch of Dunn and Jones Jr. could be the difference between a first-round exit and a legitimate playoff run. For now, Dunn is holding down the fort by himself defensively and doing it brilliantly.
LA gambled that Dunn's injury issues were behind him and that he could rediscover his All-Defensive Team form. Through 19 games of this incredible run, that gamble is paying off phenomenally. If he stays healthy and maintains this level through the playoffs, he might be the unsung hero of whatever success this Clippers team achieves.