There is no doubt that Ryan Dunn was the breakout player for the Phoenix Suns during their stretch of preseason games. The former Virginia player and first-round pick is already showing signs of life in his jump shot and offensive game, to go along with his already established defensive work.

Suns fans were understandably excited about what that could mean for the future of this group. If Dunn can create even a reasonable version of the Mikal Bridges we saw in the run-up to the 2021 NBA Finals — and early indications have been good — then only Dunn could raise this group’s ceiling.

It’s not that Dunn was bad in the overtime win in Los Angeles, but rather that he played and was used exactly as you would expect a rookie to be in his very first competitive game for an organization with lofty ambitions. Dunn finished the night playing nine minutes and had two points and a pair of rebounds to show for it.

Instead of going 6-for-11 from deep, as he did in a preseason win over the Denver Nuggets — not that he would have gotten a chance to make that many shots anyway — Dunn went 0-for-2 from from 3-point range and made one shot from the field out of the five he attempted. It wasn’t all negative though, as there were moments to enjoy in defence.

What was certainly a surprise was the fact that second-round selection Oso Ighodaro was given a little more time on the field by head coach Mike Budenholzer (12 minutes), and he scored with six boards and made the only field goal he attempted all game . . There was no difference between the impact of both rookies, and there is an obvious reason why Ighodaro got an early run.

For all the talk from Suns fans wanting Dunn to replace Bradley Beal in the starting lineup to create better two-way balance, that appears to be a long way from actually happening. Beal is playing with a smile on his face again – and that showed against the Clippers – and, unlike last season, has started the campaign healthy in Phoenix.

His 24 points trailed only Durant’s 25, while the 38 minutes he played was six more than Devin Booker (who admittedly made a mistake) and again trailed only his other superstar teammate, who played a monstrous 44. that – with the benefit of now playing in a competitive environment – ​​seems silly.

Ighodaro, on the other hand, has a clearer path to a bigger role – even if he doesn’t think he has as high a ceiling as Dunn at this point – and this was on full display in Los Angeles. Center Jusuf Nurkic missed some time in the preseason with a finger problem and was only able to play 22 minutes against the Clippers.

His backup Mason Plumlee made 18 – and while he’s an above-average backup in the league – if he gets in 20 minutes and beyond, it puts a limit on how good the Suns can be. The best use of Plumlee and his underrated handles and passing is to ensure he can feast on second units and not be a viable replacement for Nurkic for long stretches of a close game.

Ighodaro, on the other hand – while still raw in many ways – has an athleticism and resilience that has been sorely lacking in The Valley of late. He plays the position differently – and while his frame hasn’t filled out yet like the other two guys in the rotation – he seems to enjoy mixing it up inside and being physical.

That’s how Ighodaro became the main talking point of the two rookies in this one, and also why you shouldn’t be surprised if he continues to get more minutes than Dunn early in the season. His path to an expanded role is less crowded — but if Dunn can stay the course and continue to improve on offense — he will become too good to ignore soon.