Timberwolves Draft Profile: Kris Dunn

The second part in the Timberwolves Draft Profile series is a look at Providence point guard Kris Dunn.

A lot of the Wolves-related buzz surrounding the upcoming NBA Draft is centered on Dunn. Strange, considering that he’s a big, defense-first point guard that struggles with outside shooting…does that sound like anyone the Wolves are already familiar with?

It’s been well-documented of late, beginning with Chad Ford’s post-lottery mock draft, that the Timberwolves and new boss Tom Thibodeau are very intrigued by Dunn and would seriously consider drafting him if he is on the board at pick #5.

The key that surely sticks out to Thibodeau is Dunn’s length and athleticism for the point guard position, meaning that he’s not just a strong on-ball defender but profiles as a perfect fit in an overall team defensive scheme.

Of course, Dunn is nearly the opposite physical profile from the vast majority of point guards that Thibodeau employed over five seasons with in Chicago, but it remains to be seen whether or not that pattern will continue in Minneapolis.

Dunn’s strengths are his physical profile and overall feel for the game. Combined, they make him a very good ball-handler in the pick-and-roll, and while he isn’t a great outside shooter he has steadily improved over the course of his four years at Providence. Plus, he finishes at the rim well-enough and has the size to continue to do it at a high level in the NBA.

More from Dunking with Wolves

• The dream starting 5 for Minnesota Timberwolves 5 years from now
• Anthony Edwards’ latest accolade is a great sign of things to come
• In an OT thriller, Team Canada snatches Bronze from Team USA
• Timberwolves start, bench, cut: Mike Conley, Shake Milton, Jordan McLaughlin
• Which Timberwolves roster additions have upgraded the bench?

High turnovers and streaky outside shooting are the biggest concerns with Dunn. He’s a solid prospect, no doubt, but the issue with the Wolves is the fit with the roster.

But there are no two ways about it: the argument for the Timberwolves to draft Dunn has to center on a strong belief that he’ll be a star point guard in the NBA, and in short order.

Rubio is already an above-average, pass-first point guard who fits well with the existing pieces. If you think Dunn will be better, that’s fine. It isn’t all that hard to see how that might be possible.

But it isn’t happening in Year One, and probably not in his sophomore year as a professional, either. And it’s hard to see Thibodeau wanting to start a rookie point guard who was already quite turnover-prone as an amateur.

The other option is, of course, to hand Dunn the backup spot behind Rubio. But that still requires the belief that Dunn will be able to run an NBA unit from Day One, and it still probably means that you think he’ll be replacing Rubio with a year or two.

And that’s assuming that Dunn won’t be picked in the top-four, which is entirely possible, if not likely. The Celtics are reportedly big fans, and a number of teams will look to trade ahead of the Wolves for the opportunity to nab Dunn.

Next: Timberwolves Draft Profile: Jamal Murray

I like Dunn as a prospect and I think he’ll become a solid starting point guard in the NBA. But in a year in which one of Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray, and Dragan Bender will almost certainly be on the board at #5 and outside shooting (and not point guard) the biggest need on the roster, it’s tough to see how drafting Dunn would be the best decision for the Timberwolves.