We're 4-4 in the Phoenix Suns' preseason games, with rookie Ryan Dunn calling the shots. Sunday's 118:114 win against the Denver Nuggets is the most recent result.

Dunn was 6 of 11 from 3-point range, nearly matching his point total of 7 of 35 last year at Virginia. After a 12-of-51 (23.5%) college career in 65 games, he is now 12-of-27 (44.4%) in the preseason.

Ryan Dunn hit six three-pointers in the Suns' preseason game against the Nuggets this evening.

Dunn only made a TOTAL of 7 three-pointers in 34 games for Virginia last season. pic.twitter.com/EEgBbi8uon

— Dan Olinger (@dan_olinger) October 14, 2024

The aggressiveness and willingness to shoot stand out as much if not more than the ball going through the net, as that was the biggest issue with his role in college and his projection as a modern winger in the NBA. This is why he fell to No. 28 in the 2024 NBA Draft and why many teams didn't have a first-round grade on him. Those heebie-jeebies excelled in Summer League, but for whatever reason, the work he's put in over the last twelve weeks has buried them (for now) just like he's burying those threes.

Dunn's defense was as advertised. He was everywhere on Sunday, adding two steals and three blocks to his 20 points that night (which would have been his college career high), as well as four rebounds and four assists to his box score. Dunn is big, long and strong enough to hold his own on any wing, and his lateral quickness is incredible enough to keep up with some guards. He also has fantastic instincts off the ball.

Dunn is currently one of the top three defensemen on the roster and is an immediate asset in that regard. That's the main reason for the coaching staff's big push to give him more in-depth insight into these matchups. And, you know, the fact that they saw this behind the scenes.

Like Dunn's fellow freshman Oso Ighodaro, the extra latitude afforded by the NBA game helps him with post-rebound decision-making, another offensive weakness of Dunn's that has improved significantly this preseason. He has six assists and three turnovers in four games, following 35 assists and 42 turnovers in two years in college.

With the clear indication that this isn't the reality yet and only time will tell in the regular season, Dunn doesn't even look like a straight lottery pick. He appears to be a top-five choice.

If this turns out to be somewhat legitimate and Dunn is a plug-and-play winger to begin with, the Suns really haven't had anything like this in decades. You have to look back to Richard Dumas' emergence as a second-rounder in 1991, who served as a key cog in the 1993 Finals, to find a young player who came from nowhere and was able to impress to this extent.

Expectations need to be tempered. If anything, Dunn found himself a few minutes off the bench behind Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale in the wing pecking order on opening night. But if he keeps this up, he's going to start eating up the minutes this duo has left. And if he Really If he keeps this up, he'll seriously consider starting.

Rest easy in the Suns' win over the Nuggets

Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Tyus Jones all sat out, while Devin Booker (right ankle soreness), Jusuf Nurkic (left middle finger), Grayson Allen (Achilles tendon soreness) and Josh Okogie (hamstring) also did not play due to injuries. Allen, Booker and Nurkic all appear to be injured, which shouldn't affect their chances of playing in the season opener on October 23, and they probably have a chance of playing in Thursday's preseason finale. The status of Okogie's injury is less certain.

Even though the Nuggets played with all of their guys, this game quickly dissolved into a lack of energy and vigor on the court. At times it reached the level of the summer league.

The starting lineup of Dunn, Monte Morris, O'Neale, Bol Bol and Mason Plumlee consistently played good minutes.

Morris scored 20 points (7 of 12), two rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 20 minutes, while O'Neale contributed 17 points (6 of 8), four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. Bol finished with 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting (4-of-5 on 3s) and eight rebounds after generally struggling last week, shooting 2-for-9 (1-of-5 on 3s). Night. That trio and Dunn combined for 17 three-pointers, and the Suns totaled 51 three-point attempts despite the malaise of this game.

Nikola Jokic oddly played 30 of the first 36 minutes in this game, an indication that Denver perhaps viewed this as a conditioning opportunity. Either that, or head coach Mike Malone didn't like the performance of his starters and wanted them to play through.

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