On Thursday, the Phoenix Suns announced that Mark Williams would be re-evaluated in two-to-three weeks due to a stress reaction in his foot. It's another unfortunate injury setback, but one that gives fans an opportunity to see a whole lot more from rookie Khaman Maluach.
The 19-year-old has played sparingly this season, averaging 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 5.3 minutes in 26 contests. With Williams out, Maluach will slide in as the backup center behind Oso Ighodaro now that Nick Richards is gone. The Suns didn't fill Richards' spot, so they knew they may have to turn to the rookie. That time is now.
Maluach played in his first action in nine days against the Bulls on Thursday, recording four rebounds and two points in five minutes in the first quarter.
Not bad for a teenager who hasn't played much, a reminder to fans to temper their expectations before they declare the Maluach pick a bust. He's going to be out of position. He's going to be shoved around by other bigs who have been in the league. It's all part of the process — he's learning.
Khaman Maluach is now the Suns' primary backup with Williams out
The Suns traded for Williams on the same night they drafted Maluach. They knew the big man out of Duke would be a development project, so they decided to add another former Blue Devil to the roster, one that dealt with injury issues during his first few seasons in Charlotte.
Although Williams is out for the next couple of weeks (at least), he's still played a career-high 56 games, and hopefully, he'll be back for the postseason. Having to rely on Maluach, whether in the play-in or the playoffs (maybe both), wouldn't be ideal.
If you're already looking for a positive takeaway after just one half of basketball, Maluach should come out of this experience better on the other side. He can't figure things out without... figuring things out on his own against competition that's not at the G League level, where he has done well, for what it's worth.
Let's see if Maluach can start to stack up some small victories over the next few weeks, laying the foundation for what the Suns believe will be a prosperous career, or else he wouldn't be in Phoenix right now. Watching young talent is exciting, but not always pretty. Enjoy the process, and don't forget to bring your patience along for the ride.