Kris Dunn’s defensive efforts have put him in the same conversation as two Bulls greats.
On Monday night, Dunn had his 20th game this season with 3 or more steals. The performance meant he walked off the court with a total of 100 steals for the year.
Not only does that number lead the NBA at the moment, but it also means he’s only the third player in Bulls franchise history to reach 100 steals in 50 games.
Don’t take my word for it though:
Kris Dunn = LOCKDOWN.
Dunn leads the NBA with 100 steals and has joined Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as the only players in franchise history to record 100 steals in the first 50 games of a season. pic.twitter.com/dYBReeqt7i
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 28, 2020
That’s pretty freaking good.
All season long, Dunn has been atop the steals leaderboard, alongside several players who are considered “elite” NBA defenders, including Ben Simmons (99 total steals) and Jimmy Butler (71 total steals). Dunn currently sits third in steals per game (2.0), just behind Simmons (2.2) and Andre Drummond (2.1).
Another impressive stat: he has the most deflections this season at 187 (Drummond is the next closest with 173).
To put it differently, Dunn is ALL over his opponent.
When considering the league’s perception of the guy during this offseason (when his trade value was apparently nonexistent), this is an incredibly impressive flip. While Dunn isn’t currently viewed as a “must-get” during this trade season, I think it’s fair to say his market has improved.
Regardless of what the Bulls decide to do at the deadline, Dunn is in line to hit restricted free agency this summer. And if he keeps posting one of the more impressive defensive seasons in Bulls history, Chicago will have to strongly consider keeping him around.