The Phoenix Suns had by far their most impressive win of the season on Sunday, as they toppled the San Antonio Spurs and handed them their first loss in the process. Shutting down superstar Victor Wembanyama was the key to the win, with second year forward Ryan Dunn having his best performance of the campaign in helping to make this happen.
Dunn has started every game so far this season, but his production to this point has been on the quiet side. He's up to 10 points per game, but the 3-of-4 he went from deep in the Spurs win was an anomaly when put next to the 32 percent he's averaging for the year so far. Right around what he managed as a rookie.
Dunn is making the case to start once Suns are fully healthy.
The 22-year-old was such a factor against the Spurs, that he now has to be in consideration to start when the team is fully healthy. Jalen Green will surely replace Grayson Allen and slide in next to Devin Booker, although Collin Gillespie could yet have something to say about that. The harder decision will come when Dillon Brooks is back from his groin issue, because he will expect to start.
Watch Ryan Dunn here
— Stephen PridGeon-Garner 🏁 (@StephenPG3) November 3, 2025
Spurs go slice for Wembanyama, Dunn adjusts positioning to take first hit on the switch & front
Dunn continues to fight with multiple efforts to the catch point, eventually stamping the stop pic.twitter.com/qAIvalU4jo
But the reality is the Suns have jumped all the way up to 13th in defensive rating in the absence of Brooks, while the broadcast during the Spurs game mentioned the fact they're now top 10 in transition defense. Dunn has been an important part of this, his length and speed allowing him to cover up mistakes made by both himself and his teammates.
There's also an interesting case to be made that Brooks could be both an excellent sixth man, while he would prop up the bench. Prior to going down he was taking the most field goal attempts each night - which was unsustainable - and splitting him up from Booker and Green could be a nice way to ensure he still gets his.
It is a delicate balance between ensuring Brooks is engaged on both ends, versus taking over and having a negative impact on the team. Fans of the Memphis Grizzlies will be all too aware of this. The Suns can still run lineups featuring Booker, Green and Brooks, but Dunn has just reminded everybody that he can provide this roster something that nobody else can.
He's got the length and athleticism to be a constant annoyance for opponents - and while his 3-pointer isn't dropping at the required rate yet - there is still plenty of time to get that right. Head coach Jordan Ott was right to bench Oso Ighodaro after a series of uninspired displays out of position, but benching Dunn is going to be a lot harder to justify.