THE Phoenix SunsChampionship aspirations might be a dream deferred this season.
Nonetheless, two of the Suns’ brightest lights have been rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro. The Suns’ 2024 draft alternatives might be seen as optimistic thus far, given Phoenix’s future with out a lot draft capital aside from a 2031 first-rounder.
“Fierce rivals making an attempt to do what we are able to to assist this workforce win,” Dunn mentioned in the course of the Suns’ shootout Thursday to explain his and Ighodaro’s manufacturing. “We’ve been doing this since day one and we’re not going to vary for anybody.”
The Suns entered January with a 16-19 file after an 8-1 begin to the season. They had been in twelfth place within the Western Convention heading into Thursday’s dwelling recreation towards Atlanta and have misplaced eight of their final 10 video games.
The Large 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal might be disbanded after the latter star was faraway from the beginning lineup and changed by Dunn on Monday. A number of reviews indicated that he was the topic of commerce negotiations.
Ryan Dunn mentioned his decision-making has improved in choose and roll with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
Dunn on himself and Oso Ighodaro: “Fierce rivals making an attempt to do what we are able to to assist this workforce win. We have been doing this since day one and we cannot change for anybody. pic.twitter.com/jPqT6sjq3t
-DANA (@iam_DanaScott) January 9, 2025
Dunn, the 6-8 swingman, has began 15 of his 31 appearances this season and infrequently attracts the opposing workforce’s finest participant on protection. He’s averaging 6.8 factors, 3.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and capturing 43.8% in 19.6 minutes per recreation.
Ighodaro, a 7-foot Chandler native, has been a strong backup to bigs Mason Plumlee and Jusuf Nurkic, who was additionally faraway from the beginning lineup upon his return from a three-game suspension Monday.
As one of many Suns’ finest rollers off-screen, Ighodaro produces 3.8 factors, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 57.8% on three makes an attempt in 15.7 minutes in 28 video games performed.
The Suns’ latest struggles continued in a 115-104 loss to the Charlotte Hornets (8-27) on Tuesday. This recreation closed out the Suns’ three-game highway journey with back-to-back video games. That got here a day after a 109-99 win at Philadelphia (15-20) on Monday, by which Beal dropped 25 factors coming off the bench.
Throughout the Suns’ shootout earlier than internet hosting Atlanta (19-18) on Thursday, Dunn defined how the Suns “took a step again, however I believe we discovered lots,” and his position in serving to restore pleasure to the Suns on the sphere. stack up the wins.
“Go into the stands, dive for a free ball, smile, have the ability to simply play basketball and have enjoyable,” Dunn mentioned. “There’s form of these power performs, like me and JO (Josh Okogie) must convey. Get the gang concerned, so I am glad we’re coming dwelling.”
Veteran Grayson Allen, who began final season however was moved to the Suns’ bench this 12 months to make room for start line guard Tyus Jones, praised Dunn and Ighodaro for including depth to the workforce.
“For rookies coming to an older workforce as freshmen, it’s wonderful how prepared they’re and the way a lot of an impression they’ve had,” Allen mentioned. “In order that they’re in a very good place proper now.”
Booker and Durant have repeatedly talked in regards to the Virginia product Dunn and former Marquette middle Ighodaro as mature gamers with excessive IQs for his or her age. Suns basic supervisor James Jones mentioned after the 2024 draft that he selected Dunn and Ighodaro as a result of the workforce wanted extra youth, size and athleticism because the workforce was the fifth oldest participant within the NBA final season.
Dunn and Ighodaro are potential constructing blocks for the Suns, as had been Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson earlier than being traded to Brooklyn within the 2023 deal that introduced Kevin Durant to Phoenix.
In 440 minutes Ighodaro was on the court docket this season, the Suns have a internet score of plus-3.0, in line with NBA stats.
In 608 minutes when Dunn is on the court docket, the Suns are -3.1, however the Suns’ defensive score is 113.0 when he’s on the court docket. When he is off the sphere, it will get worse to 114.3. Total, the workforce’s present defensive score of 116.4 is the worst in Suns historical past, in line with Basketball Reference.
Dunn is capturing 34.4 % on nook 3s, which ranks him eighth on the workforce with a minimum of 20 makes an attempt and fifth amongst all rookies with 21 completions from the nook on his complete of 35 drained from the arc. He is solely capturing 30 % general, however he is serving to the Suns, who’re tied at three with the Warmth and Jazz, ranked ninth in 3s made per recreation and second in nook 3s made per recreation (4.6) .
When the Suns had been on a four-game streak Monday, Dunn’s numbers rose to 10.3 factors per recreation, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.5 blocks and 44.7 % of pictures. Beal is averaging 17.8 factors per recreation, however he has slipped throughout this skid to 12.5 factors.
Dunn had 15 factors towards Philly, his seventh time in double figures. Ighodaro had an 8-6-3 line towards Philadelphia.
“My first thought was him,” Beal mentioned of his response to changing Dunn within the beginning lineup. “He will get thrown into the hearth and mixes all the pieces up. He does not actually like beginning out as a younger rookie within the league.”
Beal mentioned he informed Dunn earlier than the sport, “Lock in.” Be your self. Preserve taking part in like you may have been doing. You are not doing something flawed.
Beal added that he’s happy with Dunn and Ighodaro, and Dunn is “a giant motive why we win video games.”
This text was initially printed on Arizona Republic: Suns rookies Dunn, Ighodaro make clear workforce’s future in latest struggles
