On both sides of the ball, one of the goals is to be as efficient as possible, and the superstars that play both ways have it harder than anyone. Thus, coaches give these players the most minutes, and it is their responsibility to stretch correctly for injury prevention and to condition their stamina for maximum performance.
Offensively, turnovers come with ball-dominance for most players. Current LA Clipper Chris Paul is a generational exception, but his teammate, James Harden, committed 4.3 turnovers per game, which was third worst in the league, yet he still made third team All-NBA.
The idea is followed similarly on defense, as fouling is a key detriment to being elite all around. Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies led the NBA last season in total personal fouls at 257, and numerous other well-rounded defenders like Dillon Brooks, Toumani Camara, Draymond Green, and Jaden McDaniels were in the top ten.
The Clippers did not have anyone in the top ten, but closer to the 20th spot was Kris Dunn(19). He never backs down, and in this era of officiating where whistles are blown left and right, excessive fouls are inevitable for a pesky defender.
However, Dunn’s foul can be concerning for the minutes he plays, and this is a problem the Clippers must address before it is too late.
Tyronn Lue should not leave Kris Dunn in the game too long, as he may need defense in crunch time
Picking up 197 fouls in a regular season is relatively normal for a steals and deflections specialist like Kris Dunn, but the count of minutes he played makes the number of times a whistle was blown on him seem unusual.
In fact, Dunn only played 1,783 minutes in 74 games. This averages out to 24.1 per night, underlining his foul count as a concerning problem heading into his second season for the LA Clippers.
In 2025-26, head coach Tyronn Lue will need Dunn. But with the risk being there that he could foul out, Lue will not have the leisure to let the game go on with the veteran guard not on a minutes watch.
Thus, Lue should keep Dunn around 20 minutes per game, yet save most of them for the second half. That way, if the score is tied, and LA needs a steal through excellent perimeter coverage, the former lottery pick can contribute out of foul trouble.