Blow for Suns as major fan favorite may be set for spell on the sidelines

The Phoenix Suns have tied their franchise best start to the season as they've begun 7-1, and they look like one of the best teams in the Western Conference in the early knockings of the season. You certainly can't win a championship in November - but as we saw last season - you can definitely lose it.

This group has both more talent and a better mentality this time out, and the play of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker has reflected that. There's a swagger - not an arrogance - to how they're beating all manner of opponents, that looks like it is going to continue for much of the campaign.

Disaster has struck though, with a fan favorite on the injury report.

Unfortunately that player is rookie Ryan Dunn, who has been a sensation so far this season. He's managed a pair of starts in the absence of Bradley Beal - who himself looks like he's coming off the injury report - and has been a factor on both ends of the court for the Suns. Something that did not look like it would happen for some time when he was drafted this summer.

The reason Dunn is unlikely to appear in Friday's matchup with the Dallas Mavericks is a sprained ankle, so it is unclear how long that could potentially rule him out for. You never want to rush a player back from an ankle sprain - especially in November - and the severity of it could see him miss some valuable time.

This is a shame for both player and team, because the Suns are already relying on Dunn a lot more than they thought. He's playing about 16 minutes per game, is fourth on the team in 3-point shooting percentage (39.4 percent) and has been one of the key reasons the team sit ninth in defensive rating at 109.5.

You could even make the case his two-way play has allowed center Jusuf Nurkic to flourish at times, such is the defensive ability of Dunn to switch onto bigger players as required and not need his teammate to clean up his messes on that end. As both a starter and coming off the bench, he has had a hugely positive impact.

There are those who want him to take Beal's spot in the starting lineup right now - the balance is admittedly better when he joins that group - while off the bench he brings the kind of energy that a veteran-heavy group that wants to go on a deep playoff run needs in November. It is a shame he may be about to miss the chance to build on such a great start to life in the league.

Only time will tell how long Dunn is missing for, although the hope is surely that he is back for a tough, four-game road trip that includes a pair of Emirates NBA Cup games. It would be great to see him go up against this Utah Jazz player too, as he's the kind of young and exciting big - who may somehow be available via trade - that Dunn should be looking to overtake in the league. This is a real blow.