Horror Oso Ighodaro snub should come as no surprise to Suns

The NBA recently released the list of players appearing in the Castrol Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend, and there was no place for either Ryan Dunn or Oso Ighodaro.

A surprising development for Ighodaro in particular, who after a poor starting playing at center has found his groove off the bench in Phoenix.

Ighodaro snub proves there is still a ton of work to be done

But if we're being really honest about the second round pick's development, then you know that he was never going to beat out any of the names below to a spot on that sophomore group.

Earlier this month we took a look at the strides Ighodaro has been making, particularly on the defensive end as he learns how to use his large frame and athleticism to annoy opponents.

He is coming along at a pace the Suns are now happy with and which is acceptable for a group who are re-tooling (while also being ahead of schedule), but that doesn't mean he's broken out the way Ajay Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson or Cam Spencer have.

The two main factors holding him back from coming close to this list could not be further apart, and one is not even something Ighodaro can change.

What he could work on to improve his stock outside of The Valley is an offensive game that to this point has not grown beyond the foundational pieces.

Yes he can dunk the ball hard and barrel to the rim on broken plays, which again is also an even bigger factor defensively, but there is no real go-to move or scoring package to his game yet.

Being a solid defender will do wonders for your standing with the coaching staff and the fans who pay attention, but nobody else cares. Certainly not as part of a midseason exhibition game.

If Ighodaro can get more consistent with his jumper from several areas on the court and have some back to the basket game, then he is going to have even more success.

Unfortunately he does play in Phoenix, and right now that also means he is going to be overlooked and can do nothing about it.

Even with the Suns surprising everybody, the order of credit for that is as follows;

Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Jordan Ott, Mark Williams, Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen, Jordan Goodwin, Royce O'Neale, Jalen Green for about 20 minutes, you get the point...

Ighodaro is nowhere near the top of the list of known players for a team that not a lot of casual fans care about right now. He was always going to get dinged for that.

That is also totally fine, and he should use this as motivation to prove he will be a long-term part of what the Suns have got going on. He's on the right track even though he's not a Rising Star.