The Phoenix Suns may have been swept out of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that doesn’t mean every player who took part in the series should feel bad about how the beat down unfolded.
Khaman Maluach among players who saw their stock rise in series
The Thunder are looking like a potential dynasty, and yet these three players managed to hold their own and in some ways thrive to give the Suns reason for optimism moving forward.
Khaman Maluach
The bar for 19-year-old raw prospect Maluach to have any kind of impact in this series was low, yet he had some flashes on the defensive end that should have the front office in Phoenix feeling more confident that he will eventually become a consistent contributor.
With Mark Williams unable to play at all, a problem itself which must be addressed this summer, Maluach was forced into action by head coach Jordan Ott. A reality that made not playing him more during the regular season look even more foolish.
Any time you can get some reps in against the defending champions is a plus for your development, while Maluach deterred opponents from driving to the basket when on the court. Well worth more minutes next season to see what he will become.
Dillon Brooks
The most obvious addition to this list, Dillon Brooks played like a man possessed throughout the entire series. So good was Brooks, that he deserved to get at least one win from the Thunder for his efforts.
There is a worrying element to his play however, the 30-year-old easily being the most clutch player in the series for the Suns. Some of his shot making in Games 2 and 3 in particular falling into the category of ridiculous.
Brooks proved he can carry a higher offensive load than the Suns were comfortable giving him during the regular season, and he proved in these playoffs he is undoubtedly the second best player in The Valley, not Jalen Green.
Oso Ighodaro
Ighodaro’s two seasons with the franchise have come with a series of ups and downs, but the playoffs represented a peak. For a second round pick, he is more than pulling his weight, even if the early season experiment of starting him at center did not work.
When the Suns go smaller he can spend time at the five, while his combination of athleticism and strength made him a genuine asset inside versus Oklahoma City. Ighodaro didn’t have it all his own way however, his offensive contributions remain minimal.
But while Ryan Dunn struggled badly in the series, Ighodaro found his spot in the rotation and some flow in guarding the Thunder’s bigger players (of which they have many) to improve his stock in the eyes of coach Ott ahead of next season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google