The Phoenix Suns have officially reached the halfway point in their season, and they sit a disappointing 21-20. If they continue at their current pace they are going to have to get to the postseason via the play-in tournament, which is not what was envisioned when they paired Devin Booker with Kevin Durant and later Bradley Beal.
Despite winning five of their last seven games - and making the correct trade in adding Nick Richards - there has been a lack of conviction in how the Suns have built up some wins during what is a softer part of their schedule. Just as bad, their first-quarter MVP from the season Tyus Jones has come in for criticism in recent weeks. Hopefully not a sign of things to come for second-quarter MVP.
An award that rookie Ryan Dunn absolutely deserves at this point.
Much like Jones before him, Dunn has not been the best player for the team throughout this period. If anything the fact one of Booker or Durant didn't run away with this award gives you an idea of how this season has progressed. Both are still among the best players in the league, but neither is having the kind of season that The Valley needs from them to be relevant in the Western Conference.
Back to Dunn though and this has been the period in which he has been asked to do more than ever before. The organization finally made the right decision a couple of weeks back to bring Beal off the bench, and the fact Dunn was the obvious choice - not to mention one fans were happy with - speaks volumes about his impact for this group.
He has now started 21-of-37 games played, and his minutes have climbed north of 20 minutes per game on the season. The 3-point shooting that was electric to start the season has continued to elude Dunn (32.6 percent on 3.6 attempts per game), but the balance he brings to that starting group cannot be overestimated.
"He's finding ways to impact the game."
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 17, 2025
The first Suns rookie to record 15+ points and 10+ rebounds in a game since 2020. Just the start for Ryan Dunn. pic.twitter.com/5vEaRKRo1I
His defensive ability makes up for the undersized Jones at the point guard position, while it also ensures Booker doesn't have to take the more difficult matchup on that end each night. Contrast that with when Booker and Beal started together, and opponents regularly had a lot of joy going at both of them.
Dunn is still a rookie who makes mistakes and misses rotations, but at just 22-years-old and with expectations as high as they are in Phoenix, he has done a wonderful job as a later first round draft pick in slotting in with the Suns.
To this point the team also has a much better defensive rating when Dunn is out there too, going from 22nd (115.3) on the season as a whole to 13th (112.2). The eye test backs this up too - the Suns aren't going to come close to being elite on that end this season - but they are harder to break down and score against with Dunn on the court.
Offensively it is another story altogether - but with Booker and Durant tasked with piling up the points - it feels unfair to ding Dunn for this. He was a limited offensive player coming out of college who didn't even have a reliable 3-point shot, so sliding into the starting lineup and improving the group defensively is all you could ask of the rookie at this point in the season.
It will be interesting to see how the addition of Richards also helps Dunn to improve this season. Prior to his arrival and playing next to the plodding Jusuf Nurkic, Dunn had to spend more time using his superior athleticism and movement to mask the deficiencies in Nurkic's game. He should have no such problem playing next to Richards or fellow rookie Oso Ighodaro.
Depending on how you view this season, Dunn bagging this award is either a massive plus or harrowing negative. On one hand the front office nailed a later first round pick, and Dunn looks like he is here for the long haul. But if a youngster is pipping some of the best players in the league to this award, is it any wonder the Suns are languishing in the bottom half of the Western Conference?