The Suns’ biggest question mark right now sits right in the middle of the floor.
With Mark Williams out for several months after surgery to repair a torn labrum, Phoenix suddenly has a center spot that looks like the roster’s clearest weak point. ESPN’s Ben Goliver called it the Suns’ biggest hole in a roundup of each team’s most glaring roster issue, and it’s not hard to see why.
Williams was the team’s leader in rebounds and blocks last season, but now the Suns are leaning on Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach to hold things together. Between them, they’ve logged just 31 starts in their NBA careers, and both are being asked to grow up fast.
Ighodaro, 24, brings mobility and versatility. Maluach, 20, drew strong reviews at Las Vegas Summer League in July.
But there are real challenges on both fronts: Ighodaro, at 6-foot-11, doesn’t have the classic bulk to bang with the league’s most physical centers, while Maluach, listed at 7-1, still has to prove he can sustain production after playing only 411 minutes as a rookie.
That uncertainty is why the Suns’ frontcourt situation matters so much. Outside of Williams, Ighodaro and Maluach are the only centers on the standard roster. Duop Reath is in camp trying to win a spot, and CJ Huntley, who has not played in the preseason yet, is on a two-way deal.
Coach Jordan Ott said before Monday’s preseason opener that the team has to use this stretch to sort out more than just the starting job.
"Remember they're young players, but all these possessions are valuable to us as we evaluate through the preseason into regular season, we need both of them," Ott said (via The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin). "The game is just going to present itself in different ways as to who plays more that night.
"And then, we got to find the third (center) too. That's a little bit in the preseason, who our third big is, here do we go.
We have young wings. Can we play with a non-traditional five a little bit ... there's stuff to learn for sure all over the place, but when you're missing a starter, you definitely got to figure out some of those solutions in the preseason."
So far, neither young center has pulled away. Ighodaro started the first two preseason games and is averaging 5.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and two assists in 15.8 minutes per game. Maluach has played more minutes than anyone else on the team so far, averaging 21.1 per game while putting up seven points, 4.5 rebounds and two assists.
The competition continues in the Suns’ third preseason game, and their first at home, Saturday night against the reigning Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs.
In Other News...
Duop Reath Is Giving The Suns A Tough Roster Decision
The Suns have spent preseason showing off more than just their stars, and one of the quieter developments has been the play of Duop Reath. Signed to a training camp deal, the third-string center has fit into a bench group that already looks deeper than expected, giving Phoenix something it can never quite have enough of: another capable big man who can hold his own while the regulars rest.
Reaths performance has also put the front office in an awkwardly familiar spot, because a strong camp can turn a low-cost addition into a roster debate. He could be a candidate for the final roster or a two-way contract, and the Suns will have to decide whether his value in Phoenix outweighs what he might have meant elsewhere, especially with other teams around the league dealing with their own frontcourt losses. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Dunn Has A Real Suns Opening But One Problem Remains
Ryan Dunn has gotten an early look in the Suns preseason rotation, and that alone says plenty about where the team sees his opportunity right now. In the first two preseason games, he has been the preferred option over Rasheer Fleming in the early substitution pattern, checking in during the first quarter while head coach Jordan Ott takes a closer look at how Dunn might grow into a bench role built around defense and complementary shooting.
The appeal is clear: Dunns defensive ability has already stood out, and the Suns are evaluating whether he can become the kind of three-and-D piece that fits alongside the teams shooters. The lingering issue is just as clear, though, because his three-point shot has not yet taken the kind of preseason step the Suns need to see, which leaves Fleming as a possible alternative if Dunn does not separate himself. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Face One Huge Early Question Around Jalen Green And Booker
Devin Booker is already the obvious center of gravity for Phoenix, but the conversation around him this summer has shifted from simple star status to usage. Bill Simmons and Rob Mahoney of The Ringer pointed to Booker as the Suns player to watch entering the season, noting his stated desire to shoot more and just enjoy the game. For a team trying to find its footing around him, that is not a small detail.
Jalen Green adds another layer to the equation. As the Suns second-highest-paid player, he is expected to have a major say in how cleanly Booker can get to his spots and how much pressure the offense can put on defenses. The intrigue for Phoenix is not just whether Booker can handle a bigger scoring load, but how the rest of the roster, Green included, helps make that possible. [Read more 🡒]