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Jim Boylen is a dinosaur by NBA coaching standards, fully embracing the slow pace of play, inefficient shot profile, and tireless practice schedule that modern advancements in analytics and sports medicine have proven wildly outdated. Somehow, that hasn't stopped Chicago Bulls management from throwing full support behind its handpicked Fred Hoiberg replacement that has led the team to a 7-21 record and -9.2 net rating since taking the reins on February 3.
Perhaps in hopes of affording Boylen with a roster that's more in tune with his old-school methods, the Bulls are reportedly interested in adding a veteran point guard to the fold — whether by trade before the Feb. 7 deadline or during this summer's free agency period.
Starting point guard Kriss Dunn, conventional wisdom says, would be miffed by the team's plans to bring in a player who would cut into not only his playing time but also his pivotal role in the organization's long-term future.
Au contraire.
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“I'm just running out there and hoop,’’ Kris Dunn said in response to the rumors, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Play the way I’ve been playing. Keep coming in and working hard. Try to get as many wins as we can.
“Nah, I don’t feel no pressure,” he continued. “I don’t get shook in situations like that. I just come in, do my job, work hard and be a leader for this team.”
Kris Dunn, a prized piece in the 2017 draft-night trade that sent Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves, has made clear strides in his third NBA season. He is averaging 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 44.0 percent overall and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc — both career-highs.
Dunn still has ways to go as a decision-maker and long-range shooter, but Chicago should feel better about the 24-year-old guard's future now than it did before 2018-19 tipped off.
Whether that reality will prevent them from giving Boylen the type of floor general he reportedly wants, though, remains to be seen.
