This move has aided the development of Khaman Maluach and the Phoenix Suns

When the Phoenix Suns kicked off the season, the front court had already seen some setbacks. Last year’s starting center, Mark Williams, who earned a nice extension, was reportedly out with a torn labrum. This would force the Suns to sign Duop Reath to a two-way contract to ensure they had a third center on the roster for opening night. Not only that, but it raised an even bigger question: who would start on opening night? Would it be Oso Ighodaro, the veteran big man who took over as the starter late in the season, or Khaman Maluach, the lottery selection from the Suns in the 2025 draft, who is set to be the center of the future?

That question was answered when Khaman Maluach saw the floor with the starters as the Suns took on the Trail Blazers on opening night. Unfortunately for the Suns and Maluach, the lights were brighter than expected, and the team was run off the floor basically in the first quarter. The Suns bounced back in their next game against Golden State, but with Ighodaro injured in the opener, the center rotation was thin. With the Suns also facing the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, this didn’t help, as Maluach was forced to play against top-tier bigs and defensive teams, which disrupted his chance to build momentum.

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When Ighodaro returned from injury, many fans expected him to get the starting job, but Maluach still started. This continued for a few more games until game seven, when the Suns faced the Orlando Magic. This was a must-win for the Suns, as they had just lost at home the night before to the Portland Trail Blazers in embarrassing fashion.

In this game, the Suns found their offensive groove and punished a team that couldn’t make a shot defensively, taking command and winning to show fans they are the team they have been preaching about. A big reason was plugging in Oso Ighodaro as the starting center; his screening allowed Devin Booker to hunt his shots early and score 23 first-half points. What was nice to see, though, was that Maluach looked more comfortable with the bench unit.

Against the Magic, he had eight points (4-for-6 FG), six rebounds, two assists, and…

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Publish date : 2026-11-12 17:00:00

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