The Phoenix Suns’ early frontcourt shuffle has ended up doing more than patching holes. It has given Khaman Maluach a cleaner runway, and it has also helped the group around him settle into better roles.
That wasn’t the plan when the season opened. Mark Williams, last year’s starting center who earned a nice extension, was reportedly out with a torn labrum, which pushed the Suns to sign Duop Reath to a two-way contract so they’d have a third center on the roster for opening night. The bigger question was who would actually start: Oso Ighodaro, the veteran big man who took over late last season, or Maluach, the Suns’ 2025 lottery pick and the center of the future.
The answer came on opening night against the Trail Blazers, when Maluach got the nod with the starters. The moment came fast, and the Suns were overwhelmed early.
They bounced back against Golden State in the next game, but with Ighodaro injured after the opener, the center rotation stayed thin. That meant Maluach was thrown into matchups with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, where the level of opposition made it harder for him to find any rhythm.
Even after Ighodaro returned, Maluach kept starting for a stretch. That held until game seven against the Orlando Magic, a game the Suns badly needed after an embarrassing home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers the night before.
Against Orlando, the Suns finally looked like the offense they’ve been talking about. The switch to Ighodaro in the starting five helped set the tone, especially with his screening giving Devin Booker room to work early. Booker scored 23 first-half points, and the Suns controlled the game from there.
Maluach, meanwhile, looked more settled coming off the bench. He finished with eight points on 4-for-6 shooting, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 22 minutes, along with a +13. His active hands stood out on defense, and even though Wendell Carter Jr. gave him trouble on the glass, he battled.
That pattern carried into the next game against the Rockets. Maluach posted eight points on 3-for-4 shooting, 10 rebounds, one steal, two blocks, and a +11 in 18 minutes.
He again looked more comfortable with the second unit, and he kept attacking the boards. With Steven Adams and Clint Capela out, the Suns still had their hands full with Houston’s size, but Maluach held his own and stayed engaged against Alperen Sengun, limiting him until the final quarter.
His active hands produced three stocks, another sign of why his stock keeps rising with fans.
He followed that with another solid showing against the Spurs, even in a rough night for the team overall. Facing Victor Wembanyama, Maluach scored 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting, grabbed five rebounds, and hit his lone three-point attempt.
Then came the latest proof point against the Clippers. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Suns answered with a 133-110 win, and Maluach was again useful in 22 minutes. He finished with 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting, went 100% from the free throw line for the second straight night, and added seven rebounds and three assists.
He did the work against Isaiah Jackson, fought on the glass, and showed better awareness as a passer. His two-man game with Collin Gillespie has also started to click, with Gillespie finding him for easy looks in the paint. That’s the kind of growth the Suns wanted to see: Maluach developing without being rushed into the fire against the Nikola Jokics of the world.
The move has also made life easier for the starters. With Ighodaro in the lineup, the Suns have a center who isn’t trying to do too much.
He screens, makes the simple play, and does the dirty work. Booker has praised that screening, and it gives him cleaner chances to get to his spots.
Ighodaro’s passing adds another layer, whether it’s setting up back-door cuts, finding the right man, or making the extra pass. The ball moves better, the offense stays smoother, and the open man gets found.
It has also made the bench look stronger. A group featuring Gillespie, Goodwin, Kennard, Dunn, and Maluach can hold its own against some of the league’s better second units. Gillespie’s ability to set up bigs has already shown up with Ighodaro and Williams, and it’s easy to see that carrying over to Maluach too.
For the Suns, the switch has helped both the present and the future. For Maluach, it may be the best move of his young career.
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Charlotte, meanwhile, arrives with a longer list of injury concerns, which only adds to the sense that this one could hinge as much on who is available as on who is playing well. There is also a little extra edge in the building, with Grayson Allen and Royce ONeale set to face their former team for the first time this season, a small subplot that gives an otherwise ordinary regular-season meeting a little more bite. [Read more 🡒]