PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns have officially moved to 4-1 after yet another comeback victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on the road.
While Devin Booker will get the bulk of the praise for his role in the comeback, Royce O’Neale and rookie Ryan Dunn were certainly unsung heroes in the path to securing the victory.
Dunn in particular has been an absolute diamond in the rough after being considered an enigma coming into the league – even falling all the way to the 29th pick in June.
How has he become such a quality player this quickly? Will this carry over throughout the duration of the season?
Three reasons as to why this meteoric rise has occurred, and a final verdict below:
Simplifying Jump Shot
The main source of apprehension pertaining to Dunn’s profile as a prospect was a jump shot that didn’t even translate to the free-throw line in college.
Dunn seemed tepid when taking jump shots, finishing just over 23% from behind the arc in 65 games in college.
Nothing in particular stood out about Dunn’s shooting profile during pre-draft workouts either – but the mechanics, follow through, and compactness of the shot were always conventional enough to be malleable in a pro system.
And the Suns’ coaching staff has clearly done an unbelievable job in helping the rookie refine his shot over the course of the summer.
Dunn looks more confident. His shot is even more compact. The follow through is both thorough and consistently the same.
This is absolutely an unprecedented positive development for a rookie – and while he may not sustain 40-plus percent shooting the entirety of the year – he should be able to sustain being good enough to warrant a seat at the table for the entire 82-game slate.
Consistent Awareness
Dunn’s maturity and pro-readiness have been abundantly clear since the preseason. That has just been further confirmed through five regular season games.
Part of that is Dunn’s advanced IQ and awareness. He is active on virtually every play on both sides of the floor, whether it is picking up the opposing team’s offensive engine on-ball for an entire possession, leaking out for an easy transition dunk after making a play on defense, or picking a weak spot of a zone defense to expose with precision timing.
Dunn simply plays like a 10-year vet already. That’s something that can’t be taught – and makes it all the more shocking that the UVA product fell to the back end of the first round.
High-Level Defense
Dunn was seen as potentially the best defensive prospect in the 2024 class. That has been quite strongly reinforced in the early parts of this season.
Dunn has actively been assigned to the likes of James Harden, Luka Doncic, and LeBron James over the last week, and has done an admirable job against each one, especially accounting for his lack of pro experience.
He has been equally good on-and-off ball. He is athletic and strong enough to play quality help defense at the rim. He has been a driving force in a Suns’ defense that has shown flashes of improving off of last season.
Dunn has been everything that Mike Budenholzer could have asked for on the defensive side of the ball.
Verdict: This Level of Play is Sustainable
The rookie wing is pro-ready, there’s no question about it. Dunn is also in a system that will bring out the best in him, provide ample spacing in the corners/wing, and will continue to be the focal point of a team defense that has been extremely active on a possession-by-possession basis.
Expect Dunn to not only be All-Rookie level, expect him to remain in the Rookie of the Year conversation as the season goes on.
