Suns' Ryan Dunn eyes Rookie of the Year, Rising Stars Challenge nod and reveals lessons from Kevin Durant (Exclusive)

Phoenix Suns rookie, Ryan Dunn, selected 29th overall in the NBA Draft, has rapidly adjusted to the league's style and demands, strongly exceeding initial expectations.

Through his first 39 games, Dunn has averaged 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game, demonstrating his ability to contribute significantly in various aspects of his complementary role. Beyond the box score, he’s frequently handled challenging defensive assignments with poise while doing the little things on the margins to make a positive impact.

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Ryan Dunn Exclusive

As one of the biggest surprises of his draft class, Dunn’s commitment to continuous learning, maintaining a competitive edge, and staying true to himself enables him to navigate the trials of acclimating to the highest level.

"It's very surreal to be here," Dunn told Sportskeeda, reflecting on the rapid pace of his transition to the NBA. "The biggest thing that I learned is to take and ask questions, learn as much as you can, soak in a lot of knowledge, but also be a fierce competitor and try to just be the best version of yourself. Don't try to do too much. Don't try to be who you're not, especially in this league."

Dunn’s steady adjustment to the NBA has been fueled by his commitment to improving daily and embracing his role on both ends of the court.

Ryan Dunn’s Strong Support System

Reflecting on the Suns' support system, Dunn expressed gratitude for the guidance and mentorship of his veteran teammates, which have been crucial in his NBA transition. Whenever Dunn has a question, he can get an answer from someone eager to help his progress.

"All these guys have helped me in different ways. J.O. [Josh Okogie], D Lee [Damion Lee], Book [Devin Booker], K [Kevin Durant], Brad [Bradley Beal]—those guys have always been able to talk to me,” Dunn detailed to Sportskeeda. “Tyus [Jones], even Grayson [Allen], and everyone here has been very good, just helping me when I need to ask questions, but also just helping me to keep being the good player I am.”

Dunn expressed appreciation for the wealth of knowledge and expertise shared by his teammates and the invaluable insights he has gained from observing NBA legends like Kevin Durant in action. Durant's ability to get to his spots and keep it simple as a scorer has stood out.

“From KD, it's how he gets to his spots, how he plays with so much pace, so effectively, just getting to those pull-ups and how he has a good feel for the game,” Dunn told Sportskeeda.

The complementary wings Dunn has played next to, including Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen currently, and Josh Okogie before he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, have served as helpful examples for him when playing off the ball and playing his role.

“Fom Royce, Josh, Grayson—how they attack those outs, shooting when they're open, being aggressive but making the right plays,” Dunn shared with Sportskeeda. “That's the biggest thing I'm taking away from them and trying to figure out my role in that as a wing, coming in and playing defense and trying to do the same thing—knocking down shots and making the right reads.”

Okogie, who had the chance to mentor Ryan Dunn during training camp and the preseason before being traded midseason to Charlotte, quickly noticed the rookie's potential and work ethic. Reflecting on their early interactions, Okogie drew parallels between Dunn's defensive instincts and his own, highlighting the young forward's ability to impact both ends of the floor.

"When I first, you know, got acquainted with Ryan, it was in the preseason," Okogie told Sportskeeda. "Obviously, I watched him a little bit after he got drafted during summer league, and then in preseason, we kind of got to scrimmage, and I saw a lot of myself defensively in him in terms of his instincts, how hard he plays, his reads that he makes, and how he moves in certain ways.

Okogie saw Dunn evolve into a versatile contributor for the Suns as the season progressed. He praised his rapid development and promising future, envisioning "real special" potential for Dunn as he settles into the league and develops.

"I just felt I took it upon myself to try to help him in any way I could. And not that he needs help, because he's done a great job, and everything he's done is not a credit to me," Okogie added about Dunn to Sportskeeda. "It's everything— all the credit goes to him, including the work that he's put in and how hard he works."

Dunn continues to develop his game, and Okogie sees a bright future for the rookie. He highlighted specific areas of growth that have stood out, praising Dunn’s ability to make reads in the pick-and-roll, his improvement as a shooter, and his importance in setting effective screens for Durant, Beal, and Booker. Okogie believes these skills, combined with Dunn’s work ethic, will help him thrive in the league.

"He's going to be real special. He gets better and better every game—exponentially better, too," Okogie explained about Dunn's potential to Sportskeeda. "He's shooting the ball well, he's making good reads out of the pick-and-roll, which, you know, for that team, you have to be able to do, setting screens for K [Kevin Durant] and Brad [Bradley Beal], even Tyus [Jones], and Book [Devin Booker]. He's going to be real good in the league, man. And he's in a good place, surrounded by a lot of love, so he's going to grow."

With help from the Suns’ veteran leaders, Dunn has gained invaluable insight into the game, further sharpening his skills and understanding of his role. Okogie’s early guidance has complemented Dunn’s work ethic, laying the foundation for the rookie’s quick rise in his first NBA season.

Ryan Dunn Details Offensive Development

Dunn's focus on his development in ball handling, decision-making, and performing under pressure reflects a mature approach to his long-term trajectory. He still has plenty of room to grow as a shooter, given he’s converting at a 31.7% clip from deep, but the rest of his offensive game is a focus.

"Right now, it's mainly ball handling, decision making, open shot making—making decisions when they close out, being able to put the ball on the floor and create other shots for other players," Dunn explained to Sportskeeda.

As Dunn navigates through his rookie season, he’s become increasingly comfortable, allowing him to feel the game slowing down. His decision-making when attacking closeouts is a particular area in which he’s thought he’s grown, along with making plays out of off-ball actions.

"I think the game is starting to slow down a bit for me now,” Dunn told Sportskeeda. “It's about being able to read closeouts and know when to attack off the ball, whether it's just a catch and shoot or coming off a pin down or something like that. It's about knowing where the open space is, attacking, and then making plays from there”.

Based on the makeup of the Suns’ starting lineup, it’s challenging for the opposition to handle matchups without sometimes putting a small on Dunn. Phoenix has sometimes leveraged Dunn more in off-ball actions or brought him up to screen for one of the team’s top-scoring options to force a favorable switch.

"As teams put a small on me, our biggest thing right now is just trying to tighten those matches,” Dunn told Sportskeeda. “So whether that's me screening to go get Kevin or Brad to get those screens or taking those closeouts and the small side attack, we just get into the paint, just taking my time.”

As Dunn’s offensive game matures, his versatility becomes increasingly vital to Phoenix’s rotation. It'll become increasingly more challenging for opponents to hide weak defensive links or pre-rotate the low man to protect the rim, among other nuances. In essence, the game will come easier for his star teammates.

Emergence as Tenacious Defender

Many have noticed how impactful Dunn has already proven to be as an on-ball defender. He credited having training camp to guard the likes of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal daily to get acclimated to the NBA level quickly, then building on that when handling top assignments throughout the season.

"Just training camp, you know, one of the young guys guarding them and testing our defensive ability against those three has been great.” Dunn reflected to Sportskeeda. “We gain a lot of respect from them. And from the other team and the coaching staff just by guarding the best guys each night. I think that's the biggest thing for me.”

On defense, Dunn has set his sights on becoming a key disruptor for the Suns. His strategy is not about outright stopping the league's top scorers—a daunting and often unrealistic goal—but about making them uncomfortable and disrupting their rhythm.

"I'm just going out there and trying to do my best to make opponents stressed,” Dunn stated to Sportskeeda. “I'm not going to stop them completely—they are great players in the league. The biggest thing for me is just making it tough on them, getting them hard looks and over the course of the night trying to make them a little stressed out.”

Dunn’s defensive instincts and ability to make scorers uncomfortable have established him as a reliable stopper for Phoenix.

Rookie Accolades Come with Team Success

Looking ahead, Dunn is hopeful about participating in the upcoming Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend, where top rookies and sophomores compete against each other. However, he aspires to contend for Rookie of the Year and is well-positioned to earn a spot on one of the NBA All-Rookie Teams. Regardless, he’s more focused on contributing to team success.

"Getting that chance to go to San Francisco, I hope I can. It would be a good thing for me, hopefully, to be Rookie of the Year, but it's a long journey,” Dunn told Sportskeeda. “All I'm going to do now is win for this team, find my role, impact the game as much as I can. I really try not to focus on the whole accolade stuff. I'm a believer that individual success comes with team success.”

Reflecting on his initial NBA experiences, Dunn evaluated his rookie class's collective talent and promise. Despite critics' skepticism, Dunn remains optimistic about the group's long-term potential. Even since this conversation, Kel’El Ware’s emergence with the Miami Heat further proves Dunn’s point.

“We get a lot of down for this class, but there are a lot of guys—Jared McCain, before he got hurt, Dalton Knecht early in the year and is doing well. Yves Missi, Stephon Castle, Tristan De Silva—a lot of guys that are now coming into their own,” Dunn explained to Sportskeeda. “We're all finding our roles in our teams and there are different situations. We're in all different shoes, but I think everyone has a unique story in this rookie class and I think we're all going to strive in different ways over time. It's going to be great for us.”

Dunn's humility, eagerness to learn, and dedication to making the most of his complementary role have made him an integral part of the Suns' long-term vision and a player to watch as his career progresses.

The emphasis from Dunn on team success underscores his approach to the game as he progresses in his promising rookie season.