The Phoenix Suns have looked like a deep and competitive outfit throughout preseason play, but the inability of Devin Booker to make a shot from beyond the arc has quickly become cause for concern. The franchise cornerstone is now an ugly 1-of-12 through a pair of defeats, with Booker rested for the recent win over the San Antonio Spurs. Khaman Maluach's range might just help Booker find his own touch from 3-point range once again.
Maluach spreading the court would give Booker more space to operate
Booker is in a tough spot at this point in his career. Many believe he is no longer a top 25 player in the league, yet, thanks to not having a true superstar teammate (with respect to Dillon Brooks, of course), he is also the top priority for opponents to game plan for. Miles Bridges will help, but Maluach's ability to make 3-pointers of his own at a consistent rate would create space for Booker.
We saw the first glimpses of Maluach potentially making Booker's life easier in that win over the Spurs, and with Booker not even on the court. Maluach set a screen, then turned to run away from the basket and into 3-point territory. He received the ball with Victor Wembanyama still planted in the paint, unsure what to do, before uncorking a lovely shot that connected from deep.
We saw flashes of this at Summer League as well, but getting a future league MVP to second-guess themselves and then making them pay is tangible proof that Maluach is closer to helping on a more consistent basis than anybody could have anticipated. Dillon Brooks already trusts him to make a difference on the defensive end, and spreading the court for Booker would only make him more valuable all-around.
Maluach may start sooner than thought because of floor-spacing skills
Oso Ighodaro remains in the lead to start for the Suns when the action begins for real, but moments like this are why Maluach will catch him before long. The upside is too enticing, while Booker needs all the help he can get to win now. Maluach giving opponents a tough decision to make on who to guard was not supposed to happen so soon, yet here we are.
Booker's 3-point shooting has hovered just over the 35 percent mark during his tenure in The Valley, mildly disappointing given his ridiculous shot-making ability. The fact that he looks devoid of confidence and is struggling badly from beyond the arc is not Maluach's problem to fix, and yet he might just prove to be the ideal solution to the rapidly improving shot-making of his own.
Add us as a preferred source on Google