Pittsburgh Basketball: Can Amsal Delalic fill in for Damian Dunn going forward?

Pittsburgh Basketball was off to a strong start to the 2024-25 campaign, winning its first six games of the season. After beating LSU in the semifinals of the Greenbrier Tip-Off, they faced the Wisconsin Badgers on Sunday. It was a game where despite leading by as much as 14 points, the Panthers ended up losing 81-75.

But the real loss came just minutes into the game when starting guard Damian Dunn went down after a jump shot attempt. It looked as if his ACL or leg was seriously damaged, needing to use a wheelchair to move around. However, it turned out to be a sprained ankle. The bigger issue is that Dunn also injured his thumb, requiring surgery to have him out for at least six weeks.

Dunn was a transfer from Houston, averaging 15.0 ppg in his first five games of the season. He, along with Ishmael Leggett and Jaland Lowe, were one of the best trios in the country. But now, the veteran guard is sidelined for at least a month. If there's a positive aspect to this, the Panthers only play five games between now and January 1st, though three of them (Ohio State, Mississippi State, and VT) are on the road.

In the meantime, the Panthers will have to find ways to replace his production. They weren't a very deep team, playing mainly seven guys in the rotation against good teams. Zack Austin, who started at the three-spot a year ago, will likely move back there as the interim starter. Brandin Cummings, a solid freshman guard, will be the first perimeter player off the bench.

The key guy to watch is Amsal Delalic, a 6'7 freshman wing from osnia and Herzegovina. Ironically, he missed most of the preseason himself with a hand injury, having to be brought slowly into the fold. He's a quality shooter and underrated playmaker, who can bring plenty of offense. In a season-high 16 minutes off the bench against Wisconsin, Delalic scored nine points, making all four of his shots.

Delalic's offense won't be a question but defensively, he has looked slow, both on and off the ball. But Pittsburgh doesn't have many other options, other than having to live with the defensive liabilities in favor for whatever scoring he can provide. If it works out, then by the time Dunn does return in January, the Panthers will have plenty of depth to work with in ACC play.

The loss of Dunn hurts Pittsburgh ahead of a key stretch but he'll be back this season. It'll come down to how ready Delalic is to get key minutes to determine how good the team can remain in the meantime.