Rookie Ryan Dunn provides bench spark for Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns – armed with the strong trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal – were looking for playable rookies in the 2024 NBA Draft. And it seems like they’ve found a gem in forward Ryan Dunn.

Drafted 28th overall, Dunn made sense to many as a skilled wing defender – truly one of the best in his class – but nothing more.

Now the former Virginia Cavalier is proving he may be worth a much higher pick.

In the preseason and now the regular season, Dunn has shown true 3-point shooting, which is an essential secondary factor for him at the college level. In his final season at Virginia, he made just seven 3-pointers and significantly more in just a few preseason games.

In Friday night’s loss to the Anthony Davis-led Lakers, Dunn scored nine points off the bench, all three-pointers. He shot 3 of 5 overall and from distance and added three rebounds and an assist. Despite his tougher start in the team’s opener, his shooting has taken a noticeable leap.

There is no doubt that Dunn can help the team defensively. He averaged 3.6 sticks per game in his final year of college and is projected to be a nightmare for many of the league’s top scorers.

But his defense will only take him as far as his offense will allow. If he finds his shot, he will spend a lot of time on the Suns court.

Phoenix next faces Western Conference rival Dallas in the first back-to-back game of the 2024-25 regular season tonight at 8 p.m.

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