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The news that Suns fans were dreading to hear this week was reported earlier today by ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania. Jalen Green will be out at least the next 4-6 weeks after injuring his hamstring against the Clippers.
The Suns have been without Green for most of the season so far and are 4-5 in contests he’s missed. But in the games that Green started, we witnessed Dillon Brooks at the power forward position, seeing as Grayson Allen has played himself into a starting role and therefore was starting at the three. But without Green, Allen will get the start at the shooting guard, thus moving Brooks back to the three.
Before the season started and Grayson Allen was in the starting lineup, we asked Suns fans who should start alongside Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Mark Williams, and fans resoundingly said it should be Dunn.
With Green out for an extended period of time, the starting spot alongside Booker, Allen, Brooks, and Williams is open. We now have seen a sample size of what both look like for Phoenix in that role.
Should the Valley go with the veteran or the young guy?
The Case for Royce O’Neale
O’Neale has started the 2025-26 season on a heater. He’s averaging career-highs in points, three-point percentage, and three-point attempts. He’s provided the Valley’s ball handlers with a reliable shooter to kick out to, hitting 44% of his threes on 8.3 attempts a game, and averages 1.5 steals on the defensive end, providing the Suns with a lengthy defender that can disrupt the passing lanes and opponents’ penetration.
O’Neale has been very consistent this season. While he doesn’t have a game with more than 18 points, he also doesn’t have one with fewer than 7. Averaging 12.7 points a game, O’Neale has come within 3 points of his average in six of his 11 games this year and has just two single-digit scoring games.
For a team low on assets, if O’Neale can continue his strong start of the year as a starter, he could boost his trade value if the Suns decide to trade him later in the year, which is also his biggest downside. He’s 32 and doesn’t project to be in the Valley’s long-term plans and isn’t the athlete that Dunn is.
The Case for Ryan Dunn
Only 22, Dunn projects to be a part of the Valley long-term and has made statistical strides in his second season. He’s averaging two more points and rebounds per game than his rookie season, and doing so on better efficiency from the field. Dunn’s ability to catch lobs and get chase-down blocks can ignite the team when they are struggling and demonstrate his athleticism.
By starting Dunn, the sophomore gets more opportunities to work on his game and more NBA reps against starters, the problem is his three-point shooting has gotten worse and he had a bad year from three last year. Team’s don’t defend Dunn when he’s shooting triples in the corner, and on 3.4 three-point attempts per game, Dunn is shooting 29.7%.
If you were Jordan Ott, who would you start?
