It’s been a rocky season for the Phoenix Suns thus far. A brutal start to the season made things look dire, but they have since bounced back. Phoenix has won four of its last five games, and it’s no coincidence that Oso Ighodaro was inserted into the starting lineup five games ago. He’s made a huge difference for the Suns this year.
Obviously, the Suns want to invest in Khaman Maluach. He was the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. But clearly, at this point in his young career, he’s more of a bench piece. The Suns need Ighodaro to be the one starting and playing heavy minutes if they want to make a legitimate playoff push this season.
There is plenty of room for Maluach to play real minutes this season, but Ighodaro needs to be the primary center for the Suns this year.
Oso Ighodaro is the right call at starting center
Ighodaro has been a solid rotation piece for the Suns ever since he entered the league in 2024. He was the 40th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and his minutes have slowly been increasing year by year.
He appeared in all 82 games for the Suns last year, even earning some spot starts. But now, after backing up Maluach for a bit, it’s time for Ighodaro to be the Suns’ full-time starting center.
Through the first six games of the season – all Maluach starts – the Suns went just 1-5. It was ugly. Phoenix just couldn’t land on its feet. So, head coach Jordan Ott made a change.
Ighodaro earned the starting role, and ever since, the Suns have gone 4-1. It’s been a night-and-day difference. Ighodaro is the clear man for the job in Phoenix right now.
In his first five starts of the season, Ighodaro has averaged 4.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 45.0% from the field, but it’s about more than the stats for Ighodaro.
It’s about the playmaking. The defense. The screening. The connectivity. Ighodaro knows how to make winning plays, and he’s just a bit more ready for NBA action than Maluach, who is still just 20 years old.
The Suns needed a change. They had to adjust something after their brutal start to the year. And it seems as though Ott had found the right button to press.
Clearly, Ighodaro in the starting lineup makes a lot more sense than Maluach right now.
Add us as a preferred source on Google