Phoenix Suns Rookie Khaman Maluach Impresses in Preseason Debut

On Friday, the Phoenix Suns traveled to Los Angeles to play the Lakers in their first preseason game. 

Phoenix’s veterans performed well, dominating a Luka and Lebron-less Lakers team en route to a 103-81 win. 

Devin Booker scored 24 points and added seven assists and Dillon Brooks was his usual high-effort, high-intensity self. 

During the blowout, Suns rookie and 10th overall pick, Khaman Maluach, made his preseason debut. 

Maluach was on the bench for most of the contest but entered the game with a little over two minutes to play in the third and was impactful in his minutes. The center scored four points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked a shot in just ten minutes. 

Maluach’s performance was a glimpse of the impact he could provide Phonex this season. He set good screens, freeing up his guards for open looks, did a good job rolling to the basket and looks to have improved his technique a bit when guarding closer to the level. 

The highlight of the rookie’s night was two alley-oops–one in which he blocked, and the other in which he finished over the top of Christian Koloko. 

Mauach’s stint was good, but could have been even better. He left two points at the free-throw line, missed a layup after an offensive rebound and could have had an and-one if he went up with more force on a dunk attempt. 

While not eye-popping, Maluach’s performance in his first preseason could earn him more minutes as the preseason continues and the regular season begins. With head coach Jordan Ott searching for frontcourt stability and the Suns lacking proven bigs to anchor their defense, the team needs their No. 10 pick to come along quickly. 

Maluach’s blend of length, mobility, and play-finishing gives  Phoenix a foundation to build on, even if he’s still raw in some spots. If he can continue to provide impact on a per-minute basis like he did against the Lakers, Ott may be inclined to give him a real opportunity to grow into a meaningful role as the Suns’ season unfolds.