‘ Dare me to make ’ em,’ Dunn says
Numbers don’t show it, but guard confident shooting from outside
Bulls guard Kris Dunn doesn’t care what his career shooting percentage says.
For the record, he has shot 39 percent from the field and 30 percent from three- point range.
So what? Dunn is from the ‘‘ shooters gotta shoot’’ school, and he scored a career- high 22 points on 10- for- 16 shooting — including 2- for- 2 from three- point range — in the Bulls’ 123- 120 victory Friday against the Hornets. It was the sixth time in his last eight games he scored in double figures.
So let outsiders keep saying he can’t shoot from outside. Let opposing defenders keep going underneath screens. Let Hornets guard Kemba Walker keep sagging off.
‘‘ I’ve played basketball my whole life,’’ Dunn said. ‘‘ I’ve made outside shots before. I know people are saying I can’t shoot or whatever, and I have to take that as they want to see me make ’ em.
‘‘ Dare me to make ’ em. I’m going to keep taking shots, and the ones I make, I know those are the ones that will put pressure on the defense.
‘‘ In my career, I didn’t hit bigtime shots making outside shots; I attacked the rim. I’m comfortable shooting it, and now it’s just about confidence.’’
Confidence is something Dunn doesn’t lack. Here’s a little secret about him: His two favorite players growing up were Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo. They are different players, but both oozed swagger.
‘‘ I’ve seen Kobe have some bad shooting nights,’’ Dunn said. ‘‘ All the good shooters say the only way you can get out of that gym is to keep shooting it, keep being confident. That game [ against the Thunder, where Dunn went 1- for- 11 from the field], I rose up on each shot and shot with confidence. That’s not a problem for me.’’
And rather than get stuck on that poor showing, he turned the page and had a career night against the Hornets.
It was huge for Dunn and maybe even bigger for the Bulls, who ac- quired Dunn from the Timberwolves as part of the package for Jimmy Butler and have been waiting for a point guard to emerge this season.
‘‘ Just a really overall solid performance by Kris, certainly some- thing he can build on,’’ coach Fred Hoiberg said. ‘‘ It’s exactly what we need. We need that leader that has the ball in his hands the majority of the game.’’
What Hoiberg really liked were Dunn’s seven assists and only one turnover. Turnovers have been an issue for Dunn — and seemingly all that has been holding him back from starting over Jerian Grant.
‘‘ All these games, the mistakes you make, you watch the film, see what you did wrong, see what you did right, but work on it,’’ Dunn said. ‘‘ You don’t let it define you as a player. Erase it out of your mind and move on to the next one.’’’
Dunn knows what he’ll continue to see on the Bulls’ upcoming fourgame West Coast trip: More teams daring him to shoot from outside.
‘‘ As the games are going along and there’s more film, it’s getting harder and harder for me to get into that paint,’’ Dunn said. ‘‘ The only way to open up that paint is if your teammates make shots and I make shots.
‘‘ I have to keep attacking, and that’s not going to change. But it’s up to me to change how people defend me.’’
Then Dunn smiled and added, ‘‘ I’m good with that.’’
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