Ryan Dunn surprisingly overshadowed by teammate in debut game

There's no doubt that Ryan Dunn was the breakout player for the Phoenix Suns during their preseason run of games. The former Virginia player and first round pick showing there's already signs of life in his jumpshot and offensive game, to go with his already established defensive work.

Suns' fans were understandably excited about what that could mean for this group moving forward. If Dunn can do even a passable version of Mikal Bridges that we saw during the run to the 2021 NBA Finals - and early indications were good - then Dunn alone could raise the ceiling of this group.

Then reality came in the Opening Night win versus the L.A. Clippers.

It's not that Dunn was bad in the overtime win over in Los Angeles - but rather - he played and was used exactly how you would expect a rookie in his first ever competitive game for an organization with lofty ambitions. Dunn finishing the night having played nine minutes, and had two points and a pair of rebounds to show for it.

Rather than go 6-of-11 from deep as he did in a preseason win over the Denver Nuggets - not that he would have been given the chance to take that many shots anyway - Dunn went 0-for-2 from 3-point range and made a single shot from the field out of the five he attempted. It was not all negative though, as there were moments to like on the defensive end.

What certainly was a surprise though, was the fact second round selection Oso Ighodaro was given slightly more time on the court by head coach Mike Budenholzer (12 minutes), and he chipped in with six boards and made the only field goal he attempted all game. There wasn't a ton to separate the impact of both rookies, and there's an obvious reason why Ighodaro got some early run.

For all the talk of Suns fans wanting Dunn to replace Bradley Beal in the starting lineup to create better two-way balance, that looks a long way from actually happening. Beal is playing with a smile on his face again - and it showed versus the Clippers - and unlike last season has started the campaign healthy in Phoenix.

His 24 points trailed only Durant's 25, while the 38 minutes he played were six more than Devin Booker (who admittedly did foul out) and again only lagged behind his other superstar teammate, who played a monstrous 44. To expect Dunn to replicate anything close to that - with the benefit of now playing in a competitive environment - seems foolish.

Ighodaro on the other hand has a clearer path to a bigger role - even if he doesn't figure to have as high a ceiling as Dunn right now - and this was on full display in Los Angeles. Center Jusuf Nurkic missed some time in preseason with a finger issue, and was limited to only 22 minutes of action against the Clippers.

His backup Mason Plumlee managed 18 - and while he is an above average backup in the league - if he gets into the 20 minutes and up range, it puts a cap on how good the Suns can be. The best use of Plumlee and his underrated handles and passing is in ensuring he can feast on second units, not be a viable substitute for Nurkic for long periods of a close game.

Ighodaro on the other hand - while still raw in lots of ways - has an athleticism and bounce to his game that has been sorely lacking in The Valley recently. He plays the position a different way - and although his frame hasn't filled out yet like the other two guys in the rotation - he seems to enjoy mixing it up inside and being physical.

Which is how Ighodaro became the bigger talking point of the two rookies in this one, and also why you shouldn't be surprised if he continues to get more minutes than Dunn early in the season. His path to a bigger role is less crowded - but if Dunn can stay the course and continue to improve on the offensive end - he will become too good to ignore before long.