Like any good thief, Kris Dunn wants more.

“I’ve played solidly defensively,” Dunn said. “It’s going to take more years and more (playing) time to learn about NBA personnel and sets. Once I learn more, I’ll be even better. That’s one of my main goals.”

Dunn ranks fourth in the NBA in steals with 1.98 per game. His ballhawking and ability to disrupt defensively is a big reason he was projected as a high lottery pick coming out of Providence.

“I’m a gambler,” Dunn said. “Sometimes you get rewarded; sometimes you get bit with it. Anybody on that chart knows the wins and losses associated with it.

“I’m big enough to guard multiple positions. And I take pride in defense and have athletic ability.”

Like any good coach, Fred Hoiberg wants more too.

“His biggest thing is consistency,” Hoiberg said. “He shows the willingness on certain nights to really get up and impact the ball. And then there are certain plays that he takes off. So it’s (a matter of) watching film with him, showing him the times he can really hawk the ball and disrupt the other team’s timing and offense.

“He has a chance to be a great defender. He has a long wingspan, great hands, good instincts. It just has to be more consistent.”

Both Hoiberg and Dunn downplayed questions about whether it’s feasible for Dunn to be a defensive force while also balancing the offensive responsibility on his plate. And luckily for Hoiberg and the Bulls, Dunn is not only a film junkie but his own worst critic.

“At one point my conditioning was good and I had things rolling — I was handling both ends,” Dunn said before referencing his 11-game absence to a concussion. “Coming back from the injury, I took a little step back. I got away from the details. I had success by sticking to the details, so I’m focused on both ends here down the stretch.”

More stretch four: Bobby Portis has picked up where Nikola Mirotic left off, shooting 39 percent from 3-point range this month during his career-long streak of 10 straight games with double-figure scoring.

“I worked hard this summer on that shot, day after day, a lot of sweat,” Portis said.

He posted averages of 16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in just 24.8 minutes for the month while shooting 46.1 percent overall.

“I think I’ve shown the ability to score this whole year,” Portis said. “I’ve tried to stay consistent, be a spark off the bench for us.”

Layups: The Bulls had Wednesday off but held their second annual ping-pong tournament to raise money for their charitable arm. … Dirk Nowitzki, in town Friday with the Mavericks, has averaged 22.3 points in 35 career games against the Bulls.

kcjohnson@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kcjhoop

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