Suns rookie Ryan Dunn has been one of the bright spots in what has been a rather disappointing season so far for the Suns. His confidence to defend the league’s best players on a nightly basis didn’t grow overnight. A private training session with teammate Kevin Durant instilled the confidence he needed to succeed in the NBA.
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Following the 2023-24 season, the Suns realized they needed defensive depth at their wing position. However, due to their heavy payroll, their only option of adding a competent defender was in the NBA Draft. As a result, the team selected Ryan Dunn with the 28th pick.
The Suns were high on Dunn but didn’t expect much out of a late first-round pick. On the other hand, Durant saw something in Dunn. He invited the rookie to practice with him in the summer. Dunn revealed in an interview with Andscape the words from Durant that gave him the confidence to thrive as a rookie.
“It happened with ‘K’ [Durant] first in the summer when I went to California to work out with him,” Dunn said. “We were playing ‘1s’ and he said, ‘We’re going to need you this year.’ ”
Dunn was in disbelief that a player of Durant’s calibre believed he was such an important ingredient to the team’s success. Those words served as fuel, leading Dunn to show the two-time NBA champion his faith in him was just.
The 6-foot-6 wing averages 17.5 minutes per game and is a defensive hound. Opposing players’ eFG% is 2.7% worse with Dunn defending, which is in the 86th percentile. His ability to defend the rim results in players shooting 6% worse at the rim, which is in the 91st percentile.
The rookie is still learning and growing to be better every day. His effort in his craft has earned the recognition of Durant, as the two have begun to form a close connection.
Dunn and Durant are friends off the court
Just because two players are teammates doesn’t mean they can’t be friends. Durant and Dunn don’t just tolerate each other but enjoy each other’s presence. Durant has even gone as far as going with Dunn to watch his little brother’s baseball game. Their friendship has been under wraps from the media but gained recognition at All-Star Weekend.
The two had a friendly challenge for each other. Dunn was a member of the Rising Stars team who participated in the All-Star Game’s new tournament format. Their first and sole game came against Durant’s team.
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Durant and Dunn shared playful banter claiming they’re going to lock each other up on defense. As you may have predicted, Durant came out the victor. However, Dunn has shown signs that make Durant believe that he will be on the All-Star roster some day.
