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The Phoenix Suns have embarked on a 2-1 record in the preseason, with a chunk of the production coming from the Suns rookies, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro. For starters, Dunn was the Suns' first-round choice. The following round, they took a local high school and Marquette University standout in Ighodaro.
In the Summer League, they showed flashes of potential. After all, Dunn was viewed as a 3-and-D player coming out of the University of Virginia. Most importantly, he was thought of as someone who could lock down the opposing team's best scorer while spacing the floor.
With Ighodaro, he was a paint beast—someone who owned both sides of the ball with his athleticism, physicality, and basketball IQ. In one game against the Sacramento Kings, he had four points, nine assists, five rebounds and a block.
On the other hand, Dunn struggled in the Summer League, making one three out of his 13 attempts. As a result, questions about his role and production on a deep Suns team surfaced. However, once the preseason kicked off, any seeds of doubt were uprooted immediately.
How did Ryan Dunn make his impact on the Suns?
Through three games, Dunn is shooting 6-for-16 from three. He's also made some highlight plays, especially during Tuesday's game against the Detroit Pistons. He stripped Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and then hit a transition three. Dunn spoke with AZCentral's Duane Rankin after that breakthrough game but didn't get too ahead of himself.
“It's still only two games… I know everybody what everyone is trying to say but it's a whole season,” Dunn said.
Well, his teammate Kevin Durant had some words for Dunn throughout the game. Dunn said, “If Kevin Durant says shoot, let it go.”
After Dunn talked about his game, Durant continued with what he told the rookie and said “We're going to need them to develop fast.”
Although it's a small sample size, it seems that Dunn and Ighodaro have put the veterans on notice. Even Tyus Jones mentioned in training camp that the bench and starters played two scrimmages and each one took away a victory. Still, the 6'8 wing has plenty of upside that general manager James Jones saw from the beginning.
Despite the rough showing in the Summer League, Jones sees something special. He saw a characteristic that Dunn might've not had a couple of months prior.
“I see fearlessness,” Jones said during Thursday's practice. “Taking the shots with 100% confidence, playing defense aggressively, not flinching. So that’s huge, especially as a rookie.”
Oso Ighodaro has his Suns' teammates on notice.
As Jones went through the draft process, he laid eyes on Ighodaro. The Marquette forward averaged 13.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 blocks in his final season. One of the most impressive facets of Ighodaro's game is his passing, especially as a center. He's been excellent on designated handoffs, cuts to the basket, and give-and-go's with his guards. Suns guard Bradley Beal took special exception after Ighodaro fed him the ball in a way he hadn't seen before.
“I know bigs that's been in the league 10 years who can't do that,” Beal said following the Suns' 105-97 win. “Just catch it in the pocket, take your time, and look (to the) weak side.”
Ighodaro adds another layer to a deep center position. The Suns already have Jusuf Nurkic, Mason Plumlee and Bol Bol in that position. However, Nurkic sustained a finger injury that opened Ighodaro's opportunity for an increased workload. His athleticism, IQ and attention of his star teammates could push him into a solid spot in the rotation.
It's also caught the attention of head coach Mike Budenholzer. He talked about what the rookies have earned throughout the past two weeks of practice.
“How they're earning their teammates' respect, earn their coaches' respect,” Budenholzer said during Thursday's media availability. “There's a competitiveness, there's an openness to learning and to asking questions.
“The work ethic, all the things I think the veterans look for in their young guys, I think these guys have it. It carries over to the court. At the end of the day, you have to go out and play. You have to malte plays, defensively, offensively.”
As the Suns have one more preseason game before the regular season, the rookies should continue to impress. Before people might know it, Dunn and Ighodaro could have impactful minutes within the rotation.
