Cavaliers Now

Ryan Dunn is Being Called the Steal of the NBA Draft After 4 Preseason Games

Matt Newton

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
In this story:

In a development not foreseen by even the most optimistic supporters of Virginia men's basketball and the professional players it produces, Ryan Dunn has put the NBA on notice after just four preseason games and it's mostly due to his shockingly proficient three-point jumper. Through his first four NBA preseason games with the Phoenix Suns, Dunn is averaging 11.0 points per game and shooting 44.4% from beyond the arc, making an average of three triples each game on almost seven attempts per game. What is less surprising is that his athleticism and defensive prowess has so far translated very well to the NBA, but the three-point shooting is the headliner.

These aren't just wide-open catch-and-shoot corner threes either. Take a look at this shot Dunn hit against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic defending him:

In that game against the Nuggets, Dunn scored 20 points and knocked down an astonishing six three-pointers. For context, Dunn made seven three-pointers in the entire season at Virginia last year. He also contributed four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three blocks and was +18 in 30 minutes on the floor. Wow.

Obviously, it's still early - the actual NBA regular season hasn't even begun yet. But the early returns on Dunn not only reflect well on the Suns for spending a first round pick on Dunn, but so far they're also suggesting that he should have been drafted even earlier. In his preseason debut against the Lakers, Dunn scored nine points, made two threes, and had three rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Two nights later against the Pistons, Dunn scored 10 points, knocked down three of his five three-point attempts, and recorded four rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal. Even on his one off-night so far shooting the ball, a 1/5 showing against the Pistons this past Friday, Dunn was still productive, posting four rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.

After just a week of preseason action, Ryan Dunn is already being called the steal of the draft. Read what Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports had to say about Dunn:

O'Connor alluded to it here, but Ryan Dunn's three-point shooting was an eye-sore on what was otherwise a well-rounded and high-potential NBA Draft profile. He not only couldn't make threes at Virginia - he wasn't taking any. Dunn averaged just one attempted three-pointer per game. Even if it wasn't his strong suit, if there was any chance of Dunn developing a perimeter jumper during his college days, he needed more than one attempt per game to get into a rhythm and find out.

Tony Bennett and the Virginia men's basketball program benefit greatly when their players go on to have successful careers in the NBA. If this is the beginning of a great professional career for Ryan Dunn, it will be a good thing for both him and his former college team. But when supporters of UVA basketball see Dunn knocking down six three-pointers in an NBA game, they won't be able to stop themselves from wondering how different the last two seasons could have been if Dunn had been shooting the three like that.

More Virginia Basketball News & Content

Video/Transcript: Tony Bennett, UVA Basketball Players at ACC Tipoff

UVA Basketball: What We Learned From the Blue-White Scrimmage

ACC Men's Basketball Season Predictions: Where Will Virginia Finish in the ACC?

UVA Basketball Recruiting: Hoo is Getting the Last Scholarship Spot in 25-26?

UVA Basketball Schedule Reaction: The Good and Bad of Virginia's 24-25 Slate

Published
Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.