The Phoenix Suns have dealt with various injuries for the majority of the season and while they have struggled to gain consistency, this has been the time where players have stepped up when called upon.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant have missed extended time and Grayson Allen and Jusuf Nurkić have been in and out of the lineup this season, causing coach Mike Budenholzer to give expanded roles to others from the bench.
Two pieces of the team that have hit the ground running since being drafted into the NBA this year, rookies Oso Ighodaro and Ryan Dunn, have impressed thus far and made every second they are on the floor count.
With Nurkić sidelined recently, Ighodaro has found himself reaching 20-plus minutes of action a game and splitting time with Mason Plumlee, proving that the Suns were right when analyzing his high potential before they traded for him on draft night. Phoenix made another key move by acquiring Dunn on draft night from the Denver Nuggets which is paying dividends because his elite defense paired with his improved shot has seen him in the race for the NBA Rookie of the Year.
Returning to the win column, the Suns beat the Golden State Warriors 113-105 on Saturday night and be victorious for only the second time in the last eight games. Off the bench, Dunn had two points, four rebounds and two blocks and Ighodaro played 31 minutes with six points, eight rebounds and two blocks as well.
Appreciating what they have brought to the team, Suns star Devin Booker praised the rookie duo for how relentless they are on defense and making high IQ plays.
“That’s that young energy. They were all around the court, blocking shots. I think there was one possession where there were three blocks. You can’t teach that, that is just instincts and athleticism. They have both of those,” Booker said postgame.
Echoing the same sentiment, Kevin Durant has been proud of what both Ighodaro and Dunn have been doing to contribute whenever they are played and doing things on the court that go unnoticed.
“It’s huge, we trust them and expect it out of them,” Durant said. “I think that is what they bring to our team is that energy, aggressiveness and physicality on defense. Challenging at the rim is something I think that coach always emphasizes with everybody. Not just the bigs, everybody just having that collision mindset at the rim and where you just want to disrupt the play. If we keep practicing that and building those habits, I think it would be second nature to us.
“You see it with Oso and Ryan, they just want to get on the court, so they are going to do those little things for us. They are setting a high standard for themselves every night.”
So far this season, Dunn is averaging 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 18 games (nine starts). The Chandler native Ighodaro is tallying 4.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14 games (one start).
Since Beal, Durant and Nurkić may miss more time with injuries as the season moves forward, Dunn and Ighodaro have showcased that they are reliable, willing to do whatever it takes to win and continue to learn from those around them.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
