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Phoenix Suns Rookies Make Positive Impacts After Being Benched

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The Phoenix Suns entered this season with minimal draft capital. That being said, they had one selection in the 2024 NBA draft, and it was rumored that they were willing to trade it. Luckily, the Suns’ front office and fans were blessed with two selections when they traded back for additional draft capital. For a team with limited draft capital due to the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal trades, seeing them invest in young talent was a great direction. The Suns secured Ryan Dunn in the first round (28th overall) after trading with the Denver Nuggets. They then moved to the second round to select Oso Ighodaro the next day. For the Suns, both picks had intriguing qualities to thrive but also potential holes in their growth. Luckily for the Phoenix Suns, their rookies have been the best story coming out of this team this season.

Phoenix Suns Rookies Make Positive Impacts After Being Benched

Deep Dive Into Their Skillsets

Ryan Dunn

Luckily, the Suns kept these picks and did their homework on some excellent prospects. Dunn was their first-round selection, a defensive wing from Virginia. He was known for being the best defender in the draft and it was seen on a game-to-game basis for Virginia last year. His defensive tenacity is shown every night. The effort Dunn gives night in and night out is unmatched, and this is the type of energy needed within a Suns team that can struggle on the defensive side of the floor. Not to mention, his shot-blocking ability is solid.

Dunn’s one issue, though, coming into the league was his three-point shot. Questions surrounding his outside shooting made some wonder if he could thrive in this league. After an impressive summer league and preseason for the rookie, those issues were put to bed. His numbers have decreased since then, but as a rookie, that is expected, and scattered playing time and trying to develop led to Dunn’s inconsistencies.

Oso Ighodaro

Their second-round pick, Oso Ighodaro, he has also been impactful. Ighodaro attended Marquette and was again an underrated selection in the second round. The Suns were heavily invested in the big, and I am glad they drafted him. Many fans did not know who Ighodaro was, but they were excited. Ighodaro brought something the Suns lacked, which is a big who could present some offense in the post. This, combined with the potential to stretch his shot and be a defensive impact, would give the Suns a new edge in the frontcourt.

So far, Ighodaro has been solid in this role. The only limitation with him is his size. Since his introduction, he has been used as a backup center, which I think is a better fit for him than the power forward position. Ighodaro needs to grow some more muscle to be a bigger presence down low and on the glass, though that is something that can occur as he continues to get more experience in the league.

They Were Benched?

Both Phoenix Suns rookies have seen themselves thrown into this rotation as fast as they have been taken out. In Dunn’s case, he was gifted sporadic minutes from the start, finding his role from the impressive preseason. This led to his role getting bigger until he was sidelined with an ankle injury before the All-Star break. Then, Dunn saw very few, or even no minutes across the Suns next contests. This was confusing as he was their best defender, and the Suns defense was their biggest issue.

Something similar happened to Ighodaro. He was not as lucky to find minutes early on, but with frontcourt issues, he found a spot. With the Suns using him and Mason Plumlee to fill in for Jusuf Nurkic, Ighodaro showed he could compete at this level. Even though this was proven, he was stripped of that ability to play once Nick Richards came via trade. Even with the hole on the roster with Nurkic still being here at the time and not playing, Ighodaro got minimal minutes. Once again, the reason why wasn’t very clear to Suns fans.

Impact Following Coming Back Into the Lineup

Even though head coach Mike Budenhozler has limited the development of both rookies, they have recently found some fantastic playing time, which has led to some good basketball in Phoenix. After some stagnant play for both of these guys, their leash has been lifted off of them in their last four contests. Dunn has again engaged on the defense side and brought some presence for the Suns defensively. He, alongside Cody Martin, has made those key impacts, and Dunn even spoke on how Martin has helped him as a role model. In the latest game vs the Sacramento Kings, Dunn was necessary for the Suns to get the dub.

Arguably, Oso Ighodaro has made an even more significant impact. Following Plumlee’s ejection vs. Houston, the Suns were forced to use Ighodaro with no Richards. This was not the first time the Suns were put in this scenario. Ighodaro was perfect from the field and stepped up once again. Following this, he also had his best performance on Wednesday night for the Suns. He has shown his ability to score in the post for this team. He is showing off his defensive ability to contest some of these bigs with this more petite frame in weight. This ultimately shows the potential of these two and what they can bring.

 The Last Word

Ultimately, the Suns may be one of the biggest winners of this last draft. Not only did they hit on both of their picks, but for a team that lacks future draft capital, this was the year it needed to be done. The Phoenix Suns rookies have seen growth in their game this season, even with the stunted growth caused by the benching. That said, both of these players should be long-term investments for Phoenix. Even if they do not become superstars, both will present great qualities for the future of the Suns organization. They should not be thrown in any trade to get off any salary.

Photo credit: © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The post Phoenix Suns Rookies Make Positive Impacts After Being Benched appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.