The Los Angeles Clippers have faced tough point guards to start the season. Darius Acuff Jr. and Luka Doncic are both high-volume scorers who use their craft to get to their spots and facilitate at a high level. This level of production is hard to guard against, but not for Kris Dunn . Dunn managed to limit both men during their matchups through the first two games this season, leading to an early candidacy for defensive player of the year for the Los Angeles Clippers' guard.
The Clippers have played the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers to start this season. The Kings play a high-scoring, volume offense around Acuff Jr., looking to give him all the opportunities he needs to thrive in this league. The Lakers are led by Doncic, one of the NBA's premier offensive talents. Both men are tough covers who can do it all on offense, from shooting and scoring to facilitating.
Dunn has been tasked with matching up against the opposing team's best offensive guards to limit their production.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Darius Garland (10) goes up for a basket beside Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) during the second half at Paycom Center. Photo Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Darius Garland is the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers. Given Garland's heavy offensive workload and defensive struggles, having him guard the opposing team's primary ball handler is not an easy ask. Dunn has emerged to relieve Garland of his defensive duties by covering the opposing team's point guards himself.
The 2026 NBA draft was projected to be one of the greatest in NBA history. Acuff Jr. was one of the names mentioned among the top talent in the class, with his elite offensive ability a notable skill set.
The Kings have said they will allow Acuff Jr. to shoot at a high volume to unlock his full potential as a rookie. This showed in his debut game as Acuff Jr. shot the ball 24 times. Acuff Jr. quickly learned that scoring on Dunn is no easy task, as the rookie made only 5 of his 24 shots.
Dunn also restricted Acuff from making the right reads by getting his hands in passing lanes and forcing passes out of uncomfortable dribbles. This forced Acuff Jr. to record only three assists against four turnovers, further limiting his impact on the defensive end. The credit does not completely go to Dunn, as he did not cover the rookie in every possession. However, the Kings did shoot only 2-for-9 when the Clippers guard was the primary defender.
Sacramento Kings forward/guard De'andre Hunter (15) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) and guard Darius Garland (10) during the third quarter at Intuit Dome. Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Dunn's defensive impact became even more prevalent when Acuff Jr. matched up against the Portland Trail Blazers the following game. Acuff Jr. recorded 33 points in 26 shots with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.
Acuff was able to let off the same volume as his debut game, but this time without Dunn being his primary defensive coverage. Playing against the Blazers' defenders, Toumani Camara and Jrue Holiday, is no easy ask, as both are among the best defenders in the league . This enhances Dunn's impact, as he held the rookie to only 12 points on 24 shots.
Doncic is considered one of the best players in the entire NBA. His offensive ability is his greatest trait, as the Laker can score and facilitate among the best in history. Doncic immediately made an impact in his first game of the season against the Golden State Warriors, recording 28 points and 7 assists.
In his next game against the Clippers, Dunn was tasked with guarding the potential MVP candidate. Dunn's defense helped limit the Lakers' guard to 23 points on 8-of-21 shooting. Overall, the Lakers shot only 1-for-8 as a team when Dunn was the primary defender.
Similar to his defense on Acuff Jr., Dunn limited Doncic's scoring more than anyone else. By getting his hands in passing lanes and disrupting ball handlers' dribbles, Dunn forced Doncic to commit 11 turnovers. For the second straight game, Dunn's matchup recorded 38% or less from the field and a negative assist-to-turnover ratio.
Of all players this season, the most time anyone has spent guarding Doncic is Dunn, with a little over five minutes of defense. In those five minutes of basketball, Doncic did not score once on Dunn, going 0-for-5. Dunn is also directly responsible for three of Doncic's turnovers when guarding him.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn (8) defends against Toronto Raptors Nimari Burnett (25) in the first half at Rogers Arena. Photo Credit: Bob Frid, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
In the first game of the season, Dunn recorded three steals and two blocks. Dunn followed this up by recording two steals in the next game. Then against Oklahoma City, he posted five steals and two blocks.
This sets Dunn's averages at 3.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Despite a small sample size, Dunn can continue his defensive production and lead the league in steals. Last season's steals-per-game leader was Ausar Thompson , with 2.0 steals per game. Dunn is currently averaging more than that.
Last season's blocks-per-game leader among guards was Derrick White , with 1.3 blocks per game. Second on this list would be Cade Cunningham , with 0.8 blocks per game. Dunn's current average puts him at the top of last season's steals-per-game list and second among guards.
In The Athletic's NBA player poll conducted in May of this year, Dunn's peers voted him the second-best defender in the NBA, behind San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama . This poll proves more than any numbers and statistics ever can, as the players he is guarding are letting us know that he is the best perimeter defender in the league. This has already shown this season, as the players he has been matched up against have had great games against other teams and have struggled when covered by Dunn.
Dunn's defensive impact has been proven by his assigned coverages, raw numbers, and his peers' word. If the first two games of the season are an indication of what we can expect from Dunn, the defensive player of the year award may have his name written all over it.
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Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
