Suns rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro are reliable in NBA debuts with limited minutes

I cannot express the satisfied feeling that entered my heart when Phoenix Suns first-round rookie Ryan Dunn hit an off-the-dribble jumper off a Miles Plumlee dribble on his first NBA possession.

It didn't go in, but Dunn's shooting profile at Virginia ranged from conservative to hesitant, so this show of willingness and determination was welcome given the hope his preseason performance had raised.

It was part of a narrow overtime victory Wednesday, 116-113, over the Los Angeles Clippers at the new Intuit Dome.

That contented feeling remained as he took over defensive duties for the first time from James Harden, who was quickly substituted, shifting Dunn's duties to shifty defender Kevin Porter Jr. He had some nice moments against both of them throughout the game.

It didn't take long for second-round rookie Oso Ighodaro to make his presence felt in his first minutes of the game, going on a two-man play with Bradley Beal before getting a backtap for an offensive rebound that led to Dunn Grayson Allen found for 3.

The two teamed up to force a miss from Porter Jr. on the next possession. Dunn forced a miss from Kris Dunn (no relation) the very next time, forcing Porter Jr. to take a desperate look at the end of the quarter.

If you sense a trend, good. That's a lot of eye-catching moments for two rookies selected outside the top 25 of the 2024 NBA Draft, all in less than a quarter of the action.

The second quarter started strangely, with Ighodaro and Nurkic sharing the floor to face the Clippers combo of Nic Batum and Ivica Zubac. Noticeably self-aware, Ighodaro placed the ground correctly for what the rest of the team was setting up around him, floating closer to or further away from the paint.

They continued to have limited appearances as they finished with the lowest total minutes of the 11 Suns who saw the court and did not play in the fourth quarter or overtime. But it feels like Phoenix discovered two really valuable players later in the draft who can contribute right away.

Dunn finished the game with two points, two rebounds and one assist in nine minutes, while Ighodaro had two points and six rebounds, but their impact felt much greater than their stats – including a block apiece – suggested.

Royce O'Neale was the first Suns winger to come off the bench and he played about three times as many minutes as the rookie, but I think it's a matter of time before that honor goes to Dunn. The same goes for Ighodaro and Mason Plumlee, who became Phoenix's first major players to come off the bench on Wednesday.