During an NBA season in which first-year players like Cedric Coward of the Memphis Grizzlies and Derik Queen of the New Orleans Pelicans have contributed right away, some have questioned the Phoenix Suns’ decision to draft Duke big man Khaman Maluach ahead of those players and others.
At times, the discourse around Maluach was that Phoenix made a mistake drafting him at No. 10 overall in the 2025 draft.
As I wrote back in December, those hot takes are premature.
While it’s true that other rookies have had more of an immediate impact on their squads when compared to Maluach, the potential of the 19-year-old center should be getting more attention.
The injury to Suns starting center Mark Williams, a stress reaction in his foot that’s kept him sidelined since March 5, freed up more opportunities for Maluach. And while that opening still hasn’t led to huge minutes for the big man from South Sudan, the underlying metrics in his limited time show just how impactful Maluach can be on the defensive end of the floor.
Khaman Maluach's stats put him among the best rim protectors in all of basketball
In fact, Maluach’s stats put him among the best interior defenders in the NBA. Maluach is holding opponents to a shooting percentage of 41.2% within six feet of the basket, according to data from NBA.com. Out of players who’ve played at least 30 games and defend at least two such field goal attempts per game, that’s by far the best mark in the league. He’s ahead of known interior stalwarts Clint Capela (48% defended field goal percentage), Chet Holmgren (49.1%), Isaiah Stewart (49.1%), Isaiah Hartenstein (50.3%), and everyone else in the category.
Now, it’s fair to point out that many of Maluach’s minutes have come during garbage time this season. It’s arguably more impressive for a starter like Holmgren to be holding opponents to such a low percentage on shots within six feet.
But with that being acknowledged, Maluach’s defended field goal percentage is markedly better than anyone else in the game right now.
Maluach’s defensive acumen is not limited to thwarting attempts near the hoop, either, as he's having a huge impact on team defense overall. Suns opponents have an offensive rating of 107.7 points per 100 possessions when Maluach is on the court. That figure balloons to 114.7 when Maluach is on the bench — a stunning seven-point on/off differential.
The Suns’ team block percentage is 13.7% when Maluach plays and falls all the way 7.7% when he sits — a difference of six percentage points in the category. He’s blocked multiple shots in six different games this season, including a five-block outing in a March 6 win over the Pelicans.
Again, Maluach is just 19 years old. He won’t celebrate his 20th birthday until September of this year. For him to be as impactful and established a defensive weapon as he is at this age is remarkable, and deserves more attention than it’s getting.
Maluach remains a raw talent on offense, where he needs to develop and grow his game. But the potential Maluach has as a shot-blocking menace who thwarts attempts near the basket on a level comparable with the best defenders in the game is just not something you expect to see from a rookie.
With fellow Suns big man Oso Ighodaro having a solid sophomore campaign, Maluach is likewise showing flashes of being an impact talent as he matures and grows his game.
Patience, Suns fans, because the Duke product is already much better than he's getting credit for.