Phoenix Suns’ first-round pick isn’t NBA ready

PHOENIX — The 2024 NBA Summer League has officially wrapped up, and the Suns have exceeded expectations by most accounts.

The prospect who had the most eyes on him was Virginia’s Ryan Dunn, who was, notably, selected by the Denver Nuggets as part of a trade with Phoenix as the 28th pick (the Suns reportedly had Dunn high on their draft list).

While Dunn showed from day one that he is an impact defender – as expected – his offense still showed a lot of cracks and it is clear that there is still work to be done.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman gave his take on what Phoenix should do with Dunn role-wise when the season opens in October, and that includes him starting in the G League.

“As exciting as Ryan Dunn can be on defense, his offense feels too far behind to warrant rookie minutes.

“He should spend the year in the G League making shots and building confidence in shooting three-pointers.

“He’ll always be valued most for his athleticism, defensive court coverage and weak-side shot blocking. And he could earn situational minutes this season just by bringing his explosiveness, playmaking and disruption off the bench. But wings who can’t create or make shots have very limited margin for error, especially on a team looking to compete for a title now.”

– Wasserman on Dunn’s role this season

While it might be disappointing to see a player picked in the first round spend most of his rookie season in the G League, it may be best for his long-term development.

While Dunn is expected to have an impact on defense in his rookie season similar to that of Matisse Thybulle or even Tony Allen, the lack of a consistent jump shot could make it as risky to give him meaningful minutes as the Oklahoma City Thunder gave Andre Roberson a starting job nearly a decade ago.

Dunn will likely enter the league as the Suns’ best POA and support defender, but the team simply cannot afford to devote significant minutes to multiple wings who lack a consistent repertoire from the three-point line.

Can coach Mike Budenholzer work Dunn’s magic? Time will tell, but it appears the Valley Suns are very well-endowed talent-wise for their debut season.