Things can change in a hurry in the NBA, and the Phoenix Suns are now staring a rebuilding season in the face. The good that about that, though, is that they'll get to learn a lot about the players on their roster, and that includes Ryan Dunn.
The rising second-year guard out of the University of Virginia has already given Suns fans a lot of reason to be excited. In year one, he quickly established himself as more than a plus defender. Dunn's sharp instincts and ideal physical frame made him one of Phoenix's most valuable guys on defense almost from day one.
This is honestly not all that surprising of a development. We knew how strong of a defender Dunn was in college, and sometimes the conditions are right for those skills to translate rather quickly. That was clearly the case with number zero.
What we saw in Ryan's rookie year was that while his defensive talent is already strong, it's his offensive rhythm that's going to take a bit more time to develop. Fortunately, the upcoming season should produce circumstances that will be ideal for him to get plenty of reps and be able to free-wheel just a bit more.
Dunn's continued development could create a favorable scenario for PHX
That means that in an ideal world, we'll be able to come away from the 2025-26 season with a much greater idea of what Ryan Dunn can be for the Suns in the big picture. In his rookie season, he got on the hardwood for just 19.1 minutes per night. Next year, that number should increase significantly to somewhere between 25 and 30, by my estimation.
With that kind of opportunity, we're going to get a lot greater idea about where Dunn currently stands, and whether he can earn starter-type minutes over guys like Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale. Those two are both seasoned veterans, so it's a tall task. However, I think Dunn is up to the challenge.
If my prediction ends up being correct, it would be a great situation for Phoenix to find themselves in. Losing guys like Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal is far from ideal, but the best possible result you can get from entering a rebuild is quickly learning that your young players have real talent and are ready to step into bigger roles.
The Suns have several players who could end up fitting that mold. If Ryan Dunn reaches the potential Phoenix knows he has, this team could end up in a favorable position earlier than expected.