It may be too late but the Suns youth movement is making a difference

This may not be the Suns’ year but their future is starting to look brighter.

The Phoenix Suns have embraced a youth movement, injecting fresh legs into their lineup with increasing regularity. It may be a case of too little, too late, but the decision to start Ryan Dunn and grant Oso Ighodaro extended minutes has yielded encouraging results.

Phoenix has gone 2-2 over its last four games, and while that record may not be groundbreaking, the rookie impact has been undeniable. There’s been a noticeable surge in energy, an uptick in defensive disruption, and a spark this team has desperately lacked for much of the season.

The Suns are old. Thems the facts. At an average age of 28.2, they are the third-oldest team in the NBA, and for most of the season, they’ve played like it. Fatigue creeps in late, defensive intensity fades, and opponents take advantage. Their 114.9 defensive rating in first halves this season balloons to 117.5 after halftime. The elite talent is there, but against younger, more athletic teams, their shortcomings have been glaring.

Now, with fresh legs in the mix, they might finally be addressing that problem.

Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, both selected in the 2024 NBA Draft, are still raw talents in need of development. But what they lack in experience, they make up for in relentless energy, something the Suns have sorely missed for much of the season.

Whether out of necessity due to injuries or a shift in philosophy, head coach Mike Budenholzer has leaned into his rookies over the last four games. And while Phoenix has split those contests at 2–2, the impact has been undeniable. The infusion of youth has injected life into the team, creating a ripple effect where veterans are feeding off the energy. The result? A Suns squad that, at times, finally looks like it has the juice to compete.

In the past four games, Ryan Dunn has averaged 24.3 minutes, contributing 12.5 points, 4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. Meanwhile, Oso Ighodaro has logged 27.3 minutes per night, adding 8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks. Their presence hasn’t transformed the Suns’ offense, but defensively, there is a shift in energy. The Suns look more active, more engaged, and, at times, more connected.

That connection is especially evident when Dunn and Ighodaro share the floor. In 31 minutes together over the last four games, the Suns are shooting 40.9% from deep, grabbing 31 rebounds, collecting 6 steals, and swatting 3 shots, all while posting a +2 differential. More importantly, the team boasts a 103.3 defensive rating and a 5.1 net rating in those minutes. In short, they’re making an impact. The Suns may be old, but this youth movement is giving them a much-needed jolt.

It might be too little, too late for the Suns, however. The team sits at 11th in the Western Conference standings, and even with the Dallas Mavericks sinking, the Play In may be the ceiling for this team.

Mike Budenholzer’s decision to finally lean into youth may have come after too many missed opportunities, too many signs pointing in this direction all season. But while the offensive fit is still a work in progress, the injection of athleticism has been a welcomed sight.

Maybe it’s too late to change this season. But what it does give Suns fans — something we’ve been in short supply of — is hope. Hope that next season will be more dynamic, more engaging, more fun.

Whether Budenholzer sticks with this rotation remains to be seen, but what matters is that these rookies are doing exactly what we’ve wanted: making an impact. And in their first year, no less. The development is happening. The arrows are pointing up. Let’s hop it continues.

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