The 2024-25 NBA regular season has yet to tip off, but the steal of the draft has already revealed himself.

Ryan Dunn and the Phoenix Suns’ player development staff have been putting in work this offseason because the former Virginia Cavaliers forward is showcasing talent we rarely, if ever, saw on the offensive end of the court during his college career.

Going into the 2024 NBA draft, there wasn’t a draft preview, a player breakdown, or a draft analysis that you could find that didn’t highlight Ryan Dunn’s defense and tear down his offensive ability; it was the reason he wasn’t considered a lottery pick.

That all seemed like fair analysis of Dunn. Wahoo nation didn’t necessarily come to defend Dunn and his offense. Honestly, there wasn’t a whole lot to defend. Dunn was a one-of-one defender and a top-tier athlete at Virginia, but opponents didn’t consider him a threat once Virginia had the ball and started running their half-court offense.

He averaged 5.5 points at Virginia and shot 23.5% from behind the arc and 52.5% from the charity stripe. Dunn seemed hesitant with the ball in his hands and not confident in his shot, but he was good for a handful of electric dunks throughout the season, aggressive on the boards, and could lock up anyone and everyone on the defensive end.

Well, throw out everything you just read about him being hesitant with the ball and a poor offensive player because he is balling out in the NBA preseason, and there are signs to prove that this isn’t just a lucky stint he is having. This is not a Like Mike situation where he needs his special shoes to perform well; this is the real deal.

Why? The Phoniex Suns player development program/coaching staff is committed to helping Dunn reach his full potential as an NBA player, and there is not a better group of coaches for him to be around than this staff.

Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer brought on Vince Legarza, Chaisson Allen, and Schuyler Rimmer as assistant coaches, who have all held player development positions at some point in their careers. They drafted Dunn intending to develop his jumper and other offensive skills, knowing he already had what it takes to be a solid defender in the NBA.

Well, so far so good. Dunn is putting on a show in the NBA preseason and showcasing his offseason work. He is averaging 11 points per game, shooting 44% (12-for-27) from three, and grabbing just under four boards a game.

81.8% of Dunn’s scoring in the preseason has come from behind the arc, and only 9.1% is coming from in the paint. This shows that he has been putting in the work, and the coaches have emphasized that they want him to shoot and that they want him to be comfortable behind the arc when the regular season comes around.

These stats may come as mind-blowing news to Virginia fans who watched Dunn when he was in Orange and Blue, but Ryan Dunn is starting to become a well-rounded, complete basketball player right in front of our eyes.

Does this mean Ryan Dunn’s skills were held back at Virginia? Not necessarily, and to be frank, having that conversation does not lead to anything productive.

I genuinely believe this speaks more to the player development program and coaches in Phoniex than anything else; they have done a stellar job with Dunn and his confidence.

Here is a thread of videos for the “it’s just the preseason crowd” to prove that Ryan Dunn isn’t making plays against the water boy for the opposing team:

A solid defensive play against Aaron Gordon:

Challenging three-time MVP Nikola Jokic at the rim and winning:

Putting the clamps on the former MVP Russell Westbrook:

More clamps against 2021-22 All-Rookie team selection Cade Cunningham: