Phoenix’s regular season opener took an early turn for the worse when Suns center Oso Ighodaro left for the locker room with a right hip injury in the second quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Ighodaro was clearly bothered late in the first half, grabbing at his right hip before heading off with just seconds left in the quarter. It’s the same side that kept him out of part of the preseason.
Before exiting, Ighodaro had given Phoenix some production in a limited role off the bench, finishing with eight points, three rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes. The Suns were already in a deep hole at that point, trailing 72-39 in Portland.
The injury came with the team already navigating an unexpected starting lineup decision. Khaman Maluach got the nod over Ighodaro, even though the third-year center had been seen as the favorite for the job. Suns coach Jordan Ott kept the decision quiet until game time.
Ighodaro’s absence would matter even more because of what the Suns just committed to him. The ink is still drying on his recent contract extension, a three-year, $29 million deal.
“Oso plays a significant role in driving our culture through his work ethic, toughness and character,” said Suns general manager Brian Gregory in a statement after extending Ighodaro earlier this week.
“His combination of physical tools and basketball IQ allows our team to be more versatile on both ends of the floor. Oso has made significant strides since we drafted him, and we know his commitment will see him continue to develop. We’re excited to keep him in his hometown community.”
Ott has also made clear how much he values Ighodaro’s game, especially his versatility and ability to run the floor in Phoenix. Ighodaro described his role before the season by saying, "I think I'm going to be a connector offensively and defensively," and added, "I also want to keep stepping into that leadership role that I feel like I have in me. I want to definitely be a lot more aggressive, but like I said being a quarterback on the floor offensively and defensively is probably my No. 1 role I would say."
If Ighodaro cannot return, Maluach and two-way center Duop Reath would handle the center minutes as the Suns try to dig out of a massive deficit in Portland.
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