Jazz may attempt to employ Kris Dunn in different ways as they work through post-trade growing pains.
The Utah Jazz are 0-3 since the trade deadline.
The squad will face numerous challenges as it navigates the remainder of the 2023-24 season, and there will be a lot of experimenting, but this may not be all negative.
Kris Dunn as Kelly Olynyk?
When Kelly Olynyk was dealt to the Toronto Raptors, the Jazz lost more than just his box score production (8.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game).
More crucially, they lost the best secondary playmaker on the team, who was frequently used to start some of their most efficient offense.
That type of loss affects everyone on the field, particularly the Jazz’s finest player, Larui Markkanen, who does so much off-ball movement.
The Jazz may not want to simply abandon those offensive sets and strategies, so they may need to find someone else on the roster who can make the same decisions Olynyk did while still being an offensive danger who can move with the ball.
“Keyonte (George) is somebody that we’re using a ton to facilitate, but I think we’re gonna have to find ways to utilize Kris (Dunn) maybe in some ways we haven’t in the past,” Will Hardy, the head coach of the Utah Jazz, stated.
That might include using Dunn as a screener, putting him in triple-threat situations, and letting him to dribble without making any decisions. That might indicate he gets the ball on the elbow or extends his elbow, like Olynyk did.
It’s not something Dunn has done much of, especially with the Jazz, but it has the ability to open up new possibilities.
“I’m willing to do whatever is best for the team,” Dunn told Deseret News. “I am up for the challenge, especially if it would help us win. That’s the most important thing, and I believe it will benefit me and demonstrate my adaptability.”
Ultimately, the Jazz will need to do some experimentation with many of its players.
They’ll end up employing Markkanen in a variety of ways, looking for new openings and ways to help him improve his game.
As rookie Taylor Hendricks becomes more comfortable on an NBA court, they will push him to determine his potential as a defender in numerous positions.
They’re not simply going to try Dunn out as a supplementary facilitator. Hardy is also willing to use John Collins and even Talen Horton-Tucker.
That is not to say that anyone will be able to repeat Olynyk’s contributions to the Jazz. As Markkanen stated, Olynyk is “one of a kind.”
However, by putting players in unfamiliar positions on the court, the Jazz may be able to emerge from this last stretch of the season with greater information and possibly new weapons.
At the very least, they will have tried something new, and in the worst-case scenario, they will have discovered the limitations of some of their key players.
