Rookie Swingman Ryan Dunn Can Alleviate Some Pressure From the Phoenix Suns
![Forward Oso Ighodaro interviews forward Ryan Dunn during the Suns Summer League at Verizon 5G Performance Center on July 9, 2024, in Phoenix. Forward Oso Ighodaro interviews forward Ryan Dunn during the Suns Summer League at Verizon 5G Performance Center on July 9, 2024, in Phoenix.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2959,h_1664,x_0,y_16/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/nba_draft/01j3nehgmy6n82v0wnnb.jpg)
The Phoenix Suns are looking to bounce back from a disappointing ending to their season in which they went 49-33 before being swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
While the Suns have new ownership they are also locked into a core of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal - the expensive trio makes it difficult and somewhat impossible to add depth to the rotation for Mike Budenholzer's bunch.
This puts a ton of pressure on acquiring rookies who can contribute right out of the gate. The Suns entered the 2024 NBA Draft with plenty of holes on their roster to fill, and made a swap in the first round to land defensive ace Ryan Dunn.
While the Virginia product has a troublesome offensive game, the Suns have plenty of firepower on that end. Dunn's defensive prowess - especially at the point of attack - can take some pressure off the team's big three,, making the rookie a key cog of Phoenix's rotation moving forward.
It should not be long til Dunn grabs hold of heavy minutes and perhaps around the talented scorers on the Suns is able to find a path to productivity on offense with the gravity taken up by the stars - while 3-point shooting will be a swing skill for Dunn as it is for many young players, the swingman could benefit from open cutting lanes swooping in on baseline cuts behind the defense has Durant and company operate in the mid-range and Dunn serves as a safety net dump off option.
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