It is no secret that this has not exactly been an enjoyable season for Phoenix Suns fans. The team came into the 2024-25 season expected to be among the top teams in the Western Conference, and expectations have slowly deteriorated. The Suns are now battling just to find themselves in the play-in once the regular season ends, and even that does not seem likely at this point. Phoenix has lost five games in a row and sit seven full games under .500, still two games back of the 10th-place Sacramento Kings in the standings.
This highly disappointing campaign will undoubtedly force changes within the organization, and there is no telling the full extent of the ripple effects. One thing is for certain: It will not be easy, as Mat Ishbia has made it clear he does not believe in the tanking and rebuilding process at this stage in the game. He is going to do everything he can to pick up the pieces and make the Suns into a winner, despite the near impossibility of that goal outside of doing a proper rebuild. In the meantime, fans in Phoenix will have to focus on the positives.
One bright side they can hone in on is the development of Ryan Dunn. The rookie from the University of Virginia has been a monster for the Suns all season long. His physical frame and top-notch feel for the game have allowed him to become a tremendous defender from day one. These are the kinds of skills that can often translate quickly for rookies with big-time defensive talent. (See: Herb Jones, Jaylen Clark).
Ryan Dunn's three-point shooting is already progressing
But Suns fans knew from the start that while Dunn's talents on defense would be significant, his offensive game was going to be a work in progress. But that was understood going in to the year, with the expectation being that Ryan could let his natural defensive talents shine while taking things slower in learning how to play on offense in the NBA. Now, one aspect of his offense is already coming along: His three-point shooting.
No, Dunn is not a sniper from beyond the arc yet. But a recent hot streak from the month of March should give hope to Suns fans. In a nine-game stretch between March 12 and March 28, he averaged a 41.4% shooting mark from outside, while playing big minutes against some quality competition. It was this stretch that helped make last month the best statistical one of Dunn's rookie season when it comes to shooting the three ball.
Hot streaks like this one in just his first season are an excellent sign that as Dunn continues working on his game, the shooting touch is likely only going to continue to improve. If Phoenix is to get back to contending in the West once again, they will need their rookie to become everything he can possibly be, and his three-point shooting improvement compared to the start of the season is an encouraging sign.