The Utah Jazz have one of the more interesting backcourt rotations in the NBA.
Kris Dunn and Collin Sexton start, while Keyonte George and Jordan Clarkson come on in relief. Clarkson and Sexton do most of the scoring, while Dunn provides the best defense, and George is a rookie learning on the job.
Dunn's defensive proficiency and his leadership on the court have proved invaluable at times this season, and there is a noticeable dropoff when he's not playing.
When Dunn plays 20 or more minutes this season, the Jazz are 8-4.
When he plays 19 or fewer minutes (or not at all), they are 16-19.
He has started 21 of the Jazz's 39 games, and has reached the 30 minute mark only twice - with the Jazz winning both of those games (and Dunn averaging 10.5 points and 11.5 assists in those two victories).
Kris Dunn is averaging 17.5 minutes a game on the season. So the question - why isn't Kris Dunn playing more?
The answer: It's complicated. Dunn provides great defense, but inconsistent offense. Jordan Clarkson, in his 6th man role, makes up for Dunn's lack of scoring at times.
Pairing Dunn and Sexton has been the best pairing thus far as the offense/defense mix works very well for the Utah Jazz.
Clarkson and George tends to be one-sided (all offense), while Sexton and Clarkson is similar, and reduces Sexton's effectiveness as Clarkson dominates the ball too much.
Pairing Ochai Agbaji with Kris Dunn is not workable for long stretches, as they both are defensive specialists, which creates an offensive void.
George and Dunn as a backcourt can work, but for limited stretches. It depends on if Keyonte is assertive offensively, and not being pushed around defensively.
And while Dunn keeps the offense flowing due to his unselfish play, finding rotations that work hasn't been easy for Will Hardy this season, especially against teams with two All-Star level guards.
It seems the Utah Jazz would be better served giving Kris Dunn 22-26 minutes a night, and utilizing his defensive abilities, even if it means reducing Clarkson or George a few minutes in the process.
And unless a trade is made, a minutes adjustment might be one of the few ways to maximize Dunn moving forward as the Jazz make a push for the playoffs.