Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn (11) reacts throughout an NBA sport towards the Sacramento Kings at Vivint Enviornment in Salt Lake Metropolis on March 20, 2023. Ryan Solar, Deseret Information
As quickly as Kris Dunn signed a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz and checked into his first sport for the staff, he knew that he had one thing to show and he had no drawback taking over that problem — and even going a bit past what was vital.
When he would get into the lane and rating he would look over on the Jazz bench, make eye contact with head coach Will Hardy, and flex.
“Yeah, I be flexing at coach typically,” Dunn stated with a smirk and fun. “Simply letting him know like, ‘Coach, I’m right here.’ The muscle tone is there. Most individuals take a look at me like I’m a thin man, however I wish to play bully ball so I simply let him know, ‘Don’t fear, you’re secure with me, coach.’”
Although the flexing may make Hardy snigger a bit, he greater than appreciates Dunn’s confidence and the bravado that he brings to the Jazz. Hardy famous that the Jazz have quite a lot of gamers who're gentle spoken and a bit reserved, so it’s good to have gamers steadiness that with large personalities and a bit little bit of swagger.
However there’s much more to Dunn than his occasional flexing or his voice. It’s not laborious to see that Dunn has modified and added to his sport and is able to fully revive his NBA profession.
“I feel we’re all a bit bit fast to guage gamers too rapidly,” Hardy stated. “I proceed to be reminded virtually day-after-day that the good half about basketball is which you could all the time get higher.”
After two 10-day contracts in Utah, the Jazz signed Dunn to a deal that features the rest of the 2022-23 season and a partially assured contract by way of the 2023-24 season.
“These are the straightforward, feel-good moments over the course of a season,” Hardy stated of Dunn getting a full NBA deal.
It was laborious work getting again into the NBA, and work that Dunn took very significantly. Although Dunn’s defensive sport has all the time been his wow issue, his profession dwindled after a number of accidents, and his restricted offensive sport had him on the fringes of rotations.
However Dunn labored with a nutritionist, modified the best way he works out, misplaced a bit weight, gained quite a lot of muscle, modified his shot mechanics and began to see a change. He’s taking pictures effectively over 40% from deep, he’s developed a gentle pick-and-roll and midrange sport and his protection is simply pretty much as good because it has all the time been.
He performed within the G League and his efforts paid off with a name from Utah. Then, it paid off in an even bigger manner.
“He belongs within the league and I’m so blissful he received the chance,” Jazz teammate and Dunn’s former Chicago Bulls teammate Lauri Markkanen stated. “Like he stated, he’s been working laborious and he deserves it.”
And whereas Dunn was blissful in regards to the contract and pleased with himself for preventing his manner again into the NBA, it was the response of his family members that mattered essentially the most.
“Kinda corny however like, seeing my dad smile,” Dunn stated when requested what in regards to the second he signed the deal. “When he smiles and my son’s blissful for me, my entire household is blissful for me, it simply makes you need to work tougher and do extra issues like that simply to make the folks round you cheerful.”
Dunn is aware of that he nonetheless has extra work to do. That partially assured deal for subsequent season is a signifier that he nonetheless has to show that he's indispensable. But when his quick time in Utah is any indication of what’s to return, the Jazz may need discovered a extremely nice participant that may very well be round for some time.