PHOENIX — We're only three preseason games in, so naturally overreactions may occur with starters going in and out of lineups.
However, Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach looks poised to make that coveted second-year leap in the league, and that's massive for the organization.
Maluach, the former No. 10 overall pick, played sparingly his rookie season. However, a year's worth of experience under his belt and growth displayed in the Summer League opened the door for more playing time in 2026-27. The injury to Mark Williams, one that will put him out for months, makes Maluach's development a bit more mandatory than optional.
Malauch is battling with Oso Ighodaro for starting duties while Williams is out, and while the big picture is still unclear in terms of role, Maluach has displayed strong play in preseason action.
The latest came over the weekend, where he pieced together a 10 point, 15 rebound night in a win over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
“I think he played well. He manned the paint, got some boards, caught some hard passes, finished with both hands. He played well and protected our rim really well," Dillon Brooks said of Maluach after the win.
“He guarded Wemby really well. He stayed in front, made him take tough shots, helped contain him from getting rebounds by tipping it out and getting it to us, showing strength and grabbing boards over top. It’s a process, he’s young and gets to see those different matchups. We play them again, we’ll play them about three times, we got to trust him to guard him and give me a little break.”
Maluach was widely seen as a project when he was drafted out of Duke, one that wouldn't be complete after his rookie season. However, the physical traits and tools are very much there for Maluach to develop into one of the NBA's top rim protectors.
"I didn't know exactly who they'd play, but we wanted to see how Man-Man (Khaman Maluach) would fit with that lineup, and then obviously our lineup is not complete there either. But just give them the reps, get out, start, see what it looks like," Suns coach Jordan Ott said after Saturday night.
"Oso (Ighodaro) back to that second unit, we'll take a look at the film. A lot of times the impact of that position isn't always the box score stats. 10 and 15 is a heck of a night, but it doesn't matter who plays, the fight. We need 48 minutes of great five-man play. The fives in this league are involved in every possession, offensively, defensively.
"We have great center depth. It took a hit with Mark, but tonight he played more minutes than Oso and the next night you never know. So those guys are both continually getting better and Man-Man took a step tonight."
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