In most NBA scenarios, players who excel only on one side of the ball are playable to a very limited extent. These types of guys are usually role players who are checked in by coaches when the team lacks their specialty.
However, the LA Clippers have different circumstances with Kris Dunn. Despite being a solid offensive contributor, Dunn has started for head coach Tyronn Lue numerous times due to his speed and agility.
He is a rare talent who defies size by exerting extra effort on all 94 feet of the hardwood . This mentality makes Dunn a must-play for Lue, as he can consistently generate fast breaks from forced turnovers.
In 67 games, Dunn has posted 6.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. These numbers come with a defensive rating of 106.2 and a net rating of 6.4. Additionally, Dunn is fourth in the league in steals and top-10 in deflections.
Furthermore, Dunn's offense becomes a factor from three-point land. He has never been a superb shooter, but during February of this season, the nine-year veteran shot 40%, which encouraged Lue to keep him in the starting lineup.
Lue's preference was reasonable to begin with, but Dunn's latest presentations demonstrate inconsistency, which comes at poor timing for the Clippers.
Kris Dunn's March three-point shooting foreshadows struggles for the LA Clippers in the postseason
In direct correlation to his three-point shooting, Kris Dunn has not started in every game he has been available for the LA Clippers. Though inconsistent in that regard, Tyronn Lue still rolls with him because he makes the Clippers a top-tier hazard when he is on fire.
Moreover, Dunn shot 15-51 from beyond the arc in March, which is below 30%. His most concerning night was against the Phoenix Suns, where he went 0-5 on three-point attempts in a close loss.
Through the regular season, LA has still been able to win with Dunn's percentages. Conversely, in the postseason, opposing teams will use their big men to defend Dunn while also playing the help side to ensure complications in the Clippers' offense.
This is the strategy the Cleveland Cavaliers recently tested with Evan Mobley, and it worked as they won with Dunn missing countless point-blank looks from a distance.
That said, playoff opponents will force Dunn to beat them by shooting. Lue must bench him for a more competent substitute like Nicolas Batum if he is not feeling good and in tempo.