Patience Fueled Ryan Dunn’s Unexpected Journey To The NBA

After his senior year at LuHi, he chose to do a postgraduate year at the Perkiomen School, having received no college offers. By then, he had grown another couple of inches, but did not come across like a future impactful Division I player yet. Even after his postgraduate year at the Perkiomen School, he only “ranked No. 95 on the 247Sports.com 2022 Prospect Ranking list.” Patience was key throughout Dunn’s journey, and he would need more of it, but it got his foot in the door. He got an offer from Virginia, which he initially lost as he bided his time with his college decision. He was willing to walk on and pay out of pocket before a transfer opened a spot for him to receive a scholarship. The College Rise And NBA Draft In his freshman season at Virginia, Ryan Dunn averaged only 2.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. His sophomore season was when he made his large impact. Dunn averaged an ACC-leading 2.3 blocks per game along with 8.1 points and 6.9 rebounds. He earned a spot on the ACC All-Defensive Team and caught scouts’ eyes with his defensive upside and athleticism. At the Draft Combine, Dunn was measured at 6-foot-6.25 inches flatfoot with a whopping 7-foot-1.5 wingspan and a 38.5-inch max vertical. Despite concerns about his weight and offensive ability, he was far from the average kid I once knew. The Denver Nuggets drafted him with the 28th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft before quickly shipping him off to Phoenix. Early NBA Years Dunn would rise to the starter role in his rookie year, which meant starting next to legendary scorer Kevin Durant. While the presence of such a player meant Dunn didn’t have to carry as many scoring duties, KD gave Dunn a firsthand look at his workouts and encouraged Dunn to shoot the ball, giving Dunn confidence and a blueprint for success. While Dunn, at 30.6% for his career, is still largely inefficient from three, he is progressing as a player, averaging 8.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game on 48.8% shooting this year, all of which are improvements from last season. He has also put on muscle, now weighing 216 pounds. Ryan Dunn may not be a star yet, but his career is a testimony to anyone with big dreams. Keep at it, because even if you have zero offers out of high school, it doesn’t mean your career is over.