Kevin Durant drops NSFV against rookie Suns

It’s rare for non-NBA draft lottery rookies to make an immediate impact. however, Phoenix Suns rookies Rian Dunn and Oso Ighodaro drew attention Kevin Durant. During the whole season, there were praises for this duo. At the beginning of the season, The fearlessness of the Suns rookies boosted team morale.

It was more of the same in the crucial part of the season. After that The Suns benched Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkicall eyes were on Phoenix. Regardless of the excess attention, Dan and Ighodaro were the same player. Their attitudes, production on the court and relationship with their teammates continue to improve.

Durant explained to the PHNKS Suns about his relationship with Dun and Ighodaro and how he continues to develop.

“I love all that s**t about them, man,” Durant said. “And they stay in it and stay in tune with the game every possession.” This shows that the culture is being built in the right direction. We’re trying to do something in the right (direction), you know what I mean? It may take some time.

“You might not see that thing right away.” I know when you get a player like me, you think it’s instant success, right into the championship, but little games like that, when you see Ryan go out there and play a great game and Oso go out there and you start to see him get better and better and more comfortable, now that’s the NBA for me.”

Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro impressed for the Suns

Again, two rookies playing significant minutes on a team full of all-stars is unprecedented. Even with the two showing promise in Summer League and the preseason, there was no guarantee. Coach Mike Budenholzer emphasized how they will have to earn their roles.

Constant hustle, growing defensive acumen and chemistry with teammates have elevated them to legitimate playing time. Dan took Bill’s place in the starting lineup. There is a beginner’s wing added versatility on the defensive end. He is tasked with guarding the best player in the opposing offense.

He succeeded against some players. For example, he gave James Harden and Luka Doncic trouble. However, guys like Tree Young exposed the mistakes of those rookies. Again, for a first-year player defending All-Stars and All-NBA players is beyond impressive.

For Ighodar, his role has grown exponentially. His impact isn’t as direct as Dan’s, but he’s played a solid rotational role. He and Mason Plumlee were two greats, and Nurkic was slowly taken out of the picture. Ighodaro’s playmaking, shot blocking and effectiveness at the rim they improved.

Moreover, his confidence grows from game to game. While the veterans loved the rookie’s production, seeing it come to fruition has to be an amazing feeling.

The Suns starters have been the X-factor this season

The Big 3 noticed Dan and Ighodar, but so did the others. For point guard Tyus Jones, he consistently played alongside Dunn. He also told the PHNKS Suns about how Dunn’s influence is everything based on intangible assets.

“He was huge for us,” Jones said. “Just his defensive presence, his physicality, how destructive he is on the defensive end of the floor is huge, and then offensively, cutting, crashing the O-board, creating second-chance points gave us life as well.”

Although his scoring is down, his responsibility is to set the table defensively. Rotations, switches and pick-and-roll navigation are just hints of his responsibilities. Ex All-ACC defensive guard he had his hands full, but he did quality work.

The growth of their confidence could be the X-factor for the rest of the season. The rushing plays carried over to the rest of the team. The Suns will play the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Despite Utah’s record, they will need more production from Dunn and Ighodar than they have been recently.

They have Durant’s full, unwavering support, as does the rest of the team. That feeling will remain the same, but could keep growing by adding more wins to their total.