Though Kris Dunn hasn’t developed into the difference-making guard the Bulls hoped for, his value as a niche defender continues to grow as the Bulls struggle in his absence — an interesting development with Dunn a restricted free agent after this season.
The Bulls had held opponents below their scoring average in six consecutive games prior to Dunn suffering a sprained knee against the Nets on Jan. 31 in Brooklyn. Since then, 12 consecutive teams have matched or exceeded their scoring average against the Bulls heading into Monday night’s game against the Mavericks.
The Bulls have dropped from ninth to 15th in defensive efficiency ratings with Dunn out.
“Dunn’s a huge part of it,” coach Jim Boylen said. “I think he was a first-team all-defensive guy [before the injury]. And his presence on the floor — his ability to knock balls loose, command our defense. He has a leadership component to him, too — where he’s a voice in a tough moment … in the film room … in the huddle. Those guys are hard to replace. Sometimes you don’t know how valuable a guy is until he’s not around.”
Brunson sidelined
Mavericks back-up point guard Jalen Brunson, the son of former Bulls player Rick Brunson who won a state championship at Stevenson in 2015 and NCAA titles at Villanova in 2016 and 2018, missed his fifth consecutive game after suffering a right shoulder injury agains the Hawks on Feb. 22.
Brunson, a second-round pick in 2018, has established himself as a valuable rotation player, averaging 8.2 points and 3.3 assists per game. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, who expertly managed three point guards to beat LeBron James and the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals, not surprisingly has a fine appreciation for Brunson’s versatility.
“He’s a terrific all-around player,” Carlisle said. “He can slide into any role, from starting to primary rotation to if you need to. He’s played the 1, 2 and 3 for us. He has great skill. He has terrific moxie for the game and great resourcefulness on both sides of the ball. He’s a winner. He just finds ways to help a team win games.”
Grand Funk Finale
Bulls television play-by-play announcer Neil Funk will officially retire April 15 after the Bulls regular season finale against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. A celebration of Funk’s career with the Bulls at a future home game will be announced, the Bulls said.
Fill-in announcers alongside analyst Stacey King for the final 11 games that Funk will miss were announced Monday:
March 4 at Minnesota (Adam Amin); March 8 at Brooklyn (Jason Benetti); March 12 at Orlando (J.B. Long); March 14 at Miami (J.B. Long); March 20 at San Antonio (Adam Amin); March 21 at Houston (Adam Amin); March 30 at Utah (Lisa Byington; April 3 at Denver (J.B. Long); April 5 at Phoenix (Lisa Byington); April 6 at L.A. Clippers (Adam Amin) and April 8 at L.A. Lakers (Adam Amin).
