We\u2019re a little more than two months away from Phoenix Suns preseason basketball, which tips off on October 5 in Detroit against the Pistons. Damn, that feels like a long time. I guess that\u2019s because it has been. Sometimes I forget how long the offseason really is. During the season, it feels like the schedule never ends. Then suddenly you hit July and August, and the wait feels endless.<\/p>\n
As I formulate my expectations for what this team is going to be next season, study the depth chart, and try to understand how all the pieces fit together, there\u2019s one player I consistently overlook. Ryan Dunn.<\/p>\n
Two offseasons ago, when the Phoenix Suns drafted him out of Virginia, there was a real level of excitement. Part of that was because he was the first player the Suns actually drafted and kept since Jalen Smith in 2020.<\/p>\n
When Ryan Dunn arrived, there was hope that he would be the beginning of the Suns\u2019 next youth movement. We understood his limitations as a shooter and hoped that part of his game would develop over time. In some ways, it has. The one thing Ryan Dunn possesses that you can\u2019t teach is his defensive instincts. He has a natural feel on that end of the floor, and those instincts consistently show up.<\/p>\n
The challenge is that the statistical production, combined with the eye test, has been inconsistent through his first two seasons. Last year, he actually played more minutes than he did as a rookie, yet averaged 1.1 fewer points per game, finishing at 5.8 points while shooting 45\/33\/49. That\u2019s what many of us feared when the Suns drafted him. That the shooting would never come. So far, it hasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
The concern was that he\u2019d become a one dimensional player, and through two NBA seasons, that\u2019s largely been the case. When a player can\u2019t shoot 50% from the free throw line, your mind immediately goes to Shaquille O\u2019Neal. Dunn ranked in the 0%-tile in free throw percentage last season.<\/p>\n
As I look ahead and try to project what he\u2019ll be next season, it\u2019s difficult to find a clear path. The addition of Miles Bridges means Dillon Brooks is likely sliding back to the three. The Suns also drafted Koa Peat, who brings intriguing offensive upside along with the kind of physicality and size the roster previously lacked.<\/p>\n