The Phoenix Suns were in preseason action Monday against the Detroit Pistons and quickly unveiled an exciting three-guard lineup that will give opponents problems. Oso Ighodaro got the nod to start and looked comfortable in that spot, but it is already apparent that Khaman Maluach will be the starting center in Phoenix before long.
Maluach's frame and enticing upside clear for all to see
This is not a knock on Ighodaro's game, as he will hold the starting berth for some time yet and go about his business quietly and successfully. He's got the spring in his step to trouble opponents on both ends of the court, and he continues to get better at dealing with the straight bullies who can occupy the paint. Perhaps wrestling with Maluach at training camp has already helped him improve in this area.
If Ighodaro could also become a more consistent free-throw shooter, it would keep Maluach at bay for a bit longer. But we saw when he took to the court alongside Devin Booker, whom he spent the offseason working out with, why Head Coach Jordan Ott will have a hard time not inserting him with the starters.
While Booker was getting double-teamed on some possessions, the Pistons were paying close attention to Maluach's activity in the paint. They threw two bodies his way when they could, always had a help defender on standby if needed, and altered their game plan immediately in a way Ighodaro has never forced opponents to do.
This allowed Dillon Brooks to get some open looks (when he wasn't getting into it with John Collins), while Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin benefited as well. Maluach is still a raw prospect with a limited offensive game, but the gap between what he can do and where Ighodaro is entering year three is nowhere near as wide as it should be. He will eventually catch his teammate for that starting spot.
Addition of 3-point shot would see Maluach start immediately
Maluach flashed a tasty-looking 3-point shot at Summer League, and popped outside the arc for one attempt that did not go in during the eventual loss in Detroit. The mechanics of the effort looked good, and the Pistons had no clue how to guard the pick-and-pop Maluach executed as he exited the paint and received the ball.
If this can become a semi-regular feature of his game, he will become the starter. Ighodaro will never be able to compete with that, and having a giant in Maluach who can alter shots on one end and spread the court on the other, even while having a ton of work to do in other areas, would be such an asset to the Suns.
This duo battling it out every day is exactly what the franchise needs to continue rising up the Western Conference. It will also ensure their depth continues growing year after year. Ighodaro is the right choice to start for the Suns right now, but Maluach is coming, and he already looks undeniable.
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