PORTLAND – Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker’s praise of Khaman Maluach on media day last month confirmed what the 7-footer showed in NBA Summer League.
“He's way ahead of the curve just to be going into his second year,” Booker said back in September. “He's asking a lot of questions, but you can tell he's asking them when he already knows the answer and he knows what to do. It's been a pleasure to watch him grow. I'd say he's taken the biggest leap out of anybody that I've seen this summer and with the unfortunate injury to Mark, I think (Maluach is) going to be thrown into the fire a lot more, and we'll get to learn through experience. All these moments matter.”
Those comments are resonating even more now.
Maluach is getting the start at center in Wednesday night’s season opener Oct. 21 against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.
The 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the 7-footer Maluach has been battling Oso Ighodaro for the starting center position as Mark Williams will miss multiple months of the season with a left shoulder injury he sustained during an offseason workout.
Ighodaro recently signed a three-year, $29-million extension, showing the Suns see him as a long-term investment. Playing every game last season, Ighodaro served as backup to Williams last season.
Suns coach Jordan Ott has talked all training camp and preseason about how matchups will factor in who plays. The Blazers start 7-footer Donovan Clingan at center.
Clingan led the NBA in offensive rebounds last season at 4.5 a game, but he can also pop out for 3. In his third season, Clingan shot 34.1% (84-of-246) from distance last season. Robert Williams is Portland’s backup center. At 6 feet, 9 inches, Williams isn’t as tall as Clingan, but he too is physical and gets on the offensive boards.
Williams averaged 2.4 offensive rebounds a game last season.
So when looking at Maluach starting and Ighodaro coming off the bench, matchups appear to have played a role in the decision.
At the same, Ott also said he’s not one to change who starts from game to game and wouldn’t want to change unless one was needed.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Booker's 'biggest leap' comments about Maluach fully resonating now