Phoenix Suns rookie Ryan Dunn has taken over the starting spot over Bradley Beal over the past few games. With his inclusion in starting games with All-Stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, Dunn has helped Phoenix get the winning momentum they need.
After their 120-113 win against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, Booker spoke highly of Dunn. The rookie forward finished the game with 11 points and six rebounds in 27 minutes of action. With the way he played, he received a compliment from the former Kentucky star.
“A little bit of everything, it’s kinda just how he plays,” Booker said. “He does everything well. He shoots the ball a lot better than people expected. He’s taking on the toughest matchup on the defensive end every night. He’s not slowing at all. He keeps his foot on the pedal. He’s full throttle everytime. He’s high energy. We definitely need that. He’s been a big part of why we’ve been playing well.”
VIDEO: Devin Booker on what Ryan Dunn has done to impress him. @BrightSideSun pic.twitter.com/yOPligUGJe
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) January 12, 2025
Dunn has played 33 games this season, 17 of which were starts. Over the last five games, the defensive rookie has started five straight. During that span, he’s averaged 10.0 points and 4.8 rebounds on 51.2% shooting from the field.
Kevin Durant loves how the Suns rookies have played this season
The Suns’ 2024-25 campaign has not been kind to them. The team has experienced a lot of ups and downs throughout the year as they try to make their roster work and contend for a title. One of the bright spots for Phoenix has been their rookies. While both Dunn and Oso Ighodaro lack experience, they still play with a lot of effort and vigor to help the team.
The way they’ve played has captured the attention of All-Star forward Kevin Durant.
“I love all of that s**t about ’em, man,” Durant said. “And they stay into it and stay in tune with the game every possession. That shows that culture is being built in the right direction. We’re trying to do something in the right [direction], you know what I mean? It might take a little time.
“You might not see that thing immediately. I know when you get a player like me, you think it’s immediate success, straight to the championship, but little games like that, when you see Ryan go out there and play a great game and Oso go out there and you start seeing him getting better and better and more comfortable, now that’s the NBA to me.”
Kevin Durant called Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro his brothers, pointing to their development as proof the Suns are building their culture: "I love all of that shit about 'em, man. And they stay into it and stay in tune with the game every possession. That shows that culture's being… pic.twitter.com/XkvEOWxk1b
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) January 10, 2025
Both rookies were selected outside of the lottery, but they’ve established themselves as important players in Phoenix’s quest for competitiveness.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
