Oso Ighodaro opened the preseason as the Suns’ starting center Monday against the Detroit Pistons, and he looked comfortable in the role. But even with that early nod, it already feels like Khaman Maluach is coming fast for the job.
That isn’t a knock on Ighodaro. He should keep the spot for a while and keep doing the quiet, useful things that make coaches trust him.
He moves well enough to bother teams on both ends, and he’s still getting stronger when bigger bodies try to move him off his line in the paint. Training camp battles with Maluach may already be helping there.
There’s also a clear path for Ighodaro to slow the push. If he can become more reliable at the free-throw line, it buys him more time. But the preseason opener also showed why Head Coach Jordan Ott is going to have a hard time keeping Maluach out of the first five for long.
With Devin Booker drawing extra attention on some possessions, Detroit quickly started treating Maluach like a problem in the paint. The Pistons sent two defenders at him when they could and kept help ready behind them. That changed their approach right away in a way Ighodaro simply hasn’t forced opponents to do yet.
That ripple effect opened things up for others. Dillon Brooks got cleaner looks when he wasn’t busy jawing with John Collins, and Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin also benefited.
Maluach is still very much a work in progress offensively, but the gap between his current game and Ighodaro’s place heading into year three is not as large as it should be. The bigger point is where Maluach can go from here. He already has the size to alter shots, and if his 3-point shot becomes a regular part of his game, the starting job becomes his.
He showed that possibility at Summer League, and he even popped out for one attempt in Detroit that missed. The mechanics looked good, and the Pistons didn’t seem sure how to handle the pick-and-pop action when he drifted out of the paint and got the ball.
If that shot becomes something the Suns can count on even a little, the decision gets simple. Ighodaro won’t be able to match that kind of two-way value from the center spot, and a big man who can protect the rim on one end and stretch the floor on the other would be a major piece for Phoenix as it keeps trying to climb in the Western Conference.
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Suns Still Have A Few Preseason Battles That Matter Before Opening Night
The Suns still have a few preseason decisions to sort out before opening night, and some of them sit well beyond the top of the rotation. Pat Spencer, on a two-way contract, has been used in a limited role and looks like the kind of depth piece a team hopes it never has to lean on, but is glad to have around if injuries change the picture. For a roster still taking shape, every available minute has a little more meaning than usual.
Haywood Highsmiths rocky preseason debut did not settle anything, and the back end of the roster remains in motion as the staff keeps sorting through options. Ryan Dunn, meanwhile, has to do more to separate himself in the battle for playing time, with the Suns also weighing other young options as they try to find the right mix before the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Fans Get An Early Look At A Rotation Battle Taking Shape
The early preseason minutes already offered a clue about how Jordan Ott wants to sort through the Suns frontcourt, and the next test comes against Chicago after the loss to Detroit. Phoenix is still in the stage where lineup choices matter more for what they reveal than for what they decide, and the staff is using these exhibition games to get a better read on fit, rhythm and chemistry.
Ott is keeping the same starting group in place for a second straight game, a sign that the battle up front is far from settled even as roles begin to take shape. The plan also calls for the starters to log more time against the Bulls, giving the Suns a longer look at how the group functions together before the rotation starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
John Collins Already Brought An Edge Pistons Fans Will Notice
The Suns preseason opener against Detroit had a little more bite than most October tuneups, thanks to a physical sequence between Dillon Brooks and John Collins that quickly turned into the kind of early-game skirmish both sides noticed. Brooks was whistled for a technical foul while Collins got hit with a flagrant 1, a brief but meaningful reminder that even in a preseason setting, neither player was interested in easing into the night.
Brooks later disputed the technical, while Collins said he was ready to compete physically. It was the sort of moment that can set a tone for a game, or even a longer stretch of the season, though the league would not treat Brooks preseason technicals as part of any regular-season suspension picture. For Detroit fans watching Collins in his new environment, the edge was the headline. [Read more 🡒]