Ryan Dunn's career with the Phoenix Suns through two seasons has been one of maddening inconsistencies. Just when it looks like he has figured out how to provide from beyond the arc or have a go-to move around the paint, it vanishes just as quickly, and he is relegated back to the bench. With the Suns currently dead last in defensive rating (125.8), they now have no choice but to lean into Dunn's skills on that end of the court.
Dunn can be offensive black hole and still play more as Suns struggle
Head Coach Jordan Ott has already revealed his 10-man rotation moving forward, and Dunn did make that group with the second unit. But through four games so far, his 12.8 minutes of action is nearly seven minutes fewer than each of his first two seasons. Worse still, his 4.8 points and 3 rebounds both represent career lows.
Despite that, Dunn can act as the perfect connector on the defensive end, even if it means that opponents ignore him completely when he has the ball in hand. Devin Booker and Jalen Green have been tasked with providing most of the points anyway, while Dillon Brooks looked back to his own scoring best before needlessly getting himself ejected in the recent loss to the Denver Nuggets.
He's never going to replace either Brooks or Miles Bridges in the starting lineup, but giving him more run is one of the few remaining short-term options the coaching staff has left to try to save a season that is quickly getting away from them. Dunn never cares how many shots or touches he gets; all he wants to do is try to shut down opponents.
That is a skill that nobody else on this roster can provide. Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin are also more than willing, but they don't have the longer frame that can disrupt in the way that Dunn can. Getting that onto the court for 10 extra minutes each night, even if Booker is double-teamed more as a result, is a necessary trade-off to kickstart some of the most listless defending you are ever going to see.
Dunn being possible solution shows how far Suns have fallen
One year ago, Dunn was fighting for his life on a roster that was feisty and making life difficult for everybody they faced. Now they need him to come in and provide a spark defensively, even if it means the scoring stagnates while he is on the court. To have fallen off that hard, that quickly tells you everything you need to know about the roster construction in Phoenix.
Oso Ighodaro being as important as he is to this team is a concern, but Dunn is a Hail Mary. The Suns can't make any moves for the foreseeable future to try and improve, while they have next to no future assets available to them. Turning to Dunn is a terrifying thought when you're trying to win games, but what choice do they have?
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