The Phoenix Suns were active around the NBA Draft this offseason, adding a pair of players in Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, with the undrafted Jalen Bridges signed to a contract soon after. Already we have examined the goals for Dunn, and as the team's first round pick it is hoped he will contribute.
The situation for Ighodaro is a little bit different because he was taken 40th overall, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't have high ambitions with this group. Already he's shown the organization ways he can help during Summer League play, and it is hoped those skills will continue to improve.
Already 22-years-old, it is clear the Suns favored an older player coming out of college to try and plug into the rotation right away.
Given that the Suns are also in the process of trying to win a championship, head coach Mike Budenholzer will have a job on his hands trying to bring along Ighodaro while also winning as many games as possible. The big man looks like a nice fit on paper, but these are three ways he can really stand out in his rookie campaign.
3. Avoid the G League as much as possible
There's no point trying to ignore the facts, Ighodaro is going to struggle to even break into the bench unit the Suns are putting together. Forget about the three stars at their disposal - as well as a pair of starters who are also likely to remain unchanged - Ighodaro will have a job taking minutes from guys on veteran deals.
Point guard Monte Morris has to see the court, while Royce O'Neale was brought back on a new deal and has already shown what he can bring to the roster. Mason Plumlee is the new backup big, while Josh Okogie also came back on a new deal. With the Suns taking another flyer on Bol Bol - who came on in leaps and bounds last time out - the G League looks to be where Ighodaro will spend some time.
This is a tweet I'm going to make semi-regularly as a reminder to everyone:
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 16, 2024
Oso Ighodaro is awesome and should have been drafted higher.
But if he can stick with the main roster then it will mean that he is helping right away, and he does have being a young center working in his favor. Jusuf Nurkic was excellent last season, but he also remained healthier than anybody ever expected.
He will likely miss some time, while Plumlee is now 34. Given that Bol is not a center or a defender of any kind, one injury would open the door for Ighodaro to get a real opportunity to shine. Obviously the team don't want that to be the case - but even if they remain healthy - Ighodaro's game has a chance to get some run throughout the regular season. There will be time spent in the G League though.