Raptors Prospect to Know: Ryan Dunn Fits Profile as Defense-First Wing

Ryan Dunn is still figuring it out.

There was a time not too long ago that Dunn was a 6-foot-2 sharpshooting combo guard. He converted 44% of his three-pointers in two high school seasons at Long Island Lutheran and looked like an intriguing albeit undersized basketball prospect.

But then everything changed.

Dunn grew nearly five inches and developed into one of college basketball’s most imposing defensive players. He became a 6-foot-6.25 defense-first wing with a 7-foot-1.5 wingspan and feet quick enough to defend just about anyone on the court.

Had he kept his offensive touch, Dunn would have been among the first few players taken in this year’s NBA Draft. He would have been the ideal 3-and-D wing player that NBA teams clamor over these days.

But when the growth spurt came, Dunn’s offense disappeared.

Now the 21-year-old sophomore looks like a late first-round or early second-round pick who is projected to be selected somewhere around the No. 31 pick owned by the Toronto Raptors.

Defensive Pedigree

There are a ton of prospects these days who make claims about being able to defend everyone on the court. Almost every prospect with any versatility says they can guard one through five despite clear limitations on at least one end of the spectrum.

Dunn may be the exception.

He can certainly defend one through four and if there’s a small-ball center on the court he’ll take that assignment too. His rare combination of size thanks to his 8-foot-7 standing reach coupled with his impressive quickness allows him to switch easily on the perimeter and defend both sides of most pick-and-roll combinations.

As a sophomore, he averaged 1.3 steals and a conference-best 2.3 blocks per game while typically taking on the toughest assignment for Virginia’s top-ranked defense.

“There has been plenty written about Dunn's excellent defense,” wrote Matthew Newton of Cavaliers Now. “They haven't been overstating it. I 100% believe that it will translate to the NBA.”

Offensive Limitations

Dunn is at his best in transition or scoring off one-dribble cuts to the hoop. He’s an exceptional athlete with impressive leaping ability who can convert put-backs when he’s offensive rebounding and has a tendency to throw down impressive dunks.

Other than that, though, he’s extremely limited.

Dunn averaged just 8.1 points while shooting 7-for-35 from three-point range for the season. Opposing teams typically left him wide open behind the arc daring him to shoot while packing the paint to smother the Cavaliers’ lackluster offense.

Though he has been a better three-point shooter in the past, his three-point stroke looks a little wonky and he was a 53.2% free-throw shooter this past year, suggesting he’ll need a lot of work to fix his stroke.

“It makes sense that the development of some of his basketball skills has been behind schedule for a while,” said Newton who noted Dunn’s late growth spurt. “Realistically, it doesn't seem likely that Dunn will develop into an effective ball-handler. … His ceiling is to become an effective slasher who can make a move with one dribble off the catch and get to the rim or sit in the dunker spot and wait for a dish from a teammate.”

Dunn doesn’t ever need to be a high-end offensive player to be successful, but if he can find his way to being an average three-point shooter he should be able to carve out a nice niche for himself. That said, he’s a long way from converting 36% of his threes at the NBA level.

Off the Court

Dunn has developed himself from a three-star prospect coming out of high school into one of the top 30 to 40 players in this year’s draft class. He certainly has a lot of work to do moving forward, but his track record suggests he’s prepared to do it.

“Ryan Dunn is a high-character kid. He wanted to come to UVA so badly that when it seemed Virginia didn't have an open scholarship spot to offer him, he said he'd be willing to come as a walk-on,” Newton said. “He's a hard worker and very humble and that shows in interviews. I have thoroughly enjoyed speaking with him a half dozen or so times over the last two years. He won't be a locker room problem and it just seems like he's made of the right stuff.”

Raptors Fit

Toronto’s offense can’t afford another non-shooter like Dunn but the glaring need for a wing-stopper like the New York native makes him an intriguing possibility for the Raptors with their second of two draft picks this year.

The organization has had some success developing shooting at the NBA level and it’s possible Toronto sees an opportunity to do the same with Dunn moving forward. It won’t be easy and it’s not hard to see the Raptors’ offense getting clogged up when Dunn is on the court. But if it works out for Toronto, Dunn could be the midding 3-and-D wing the organization desperately needs.