Phoenix Suns' Head Coach Jordan Ott gave a positive update on Oso Ighodaro during shootaround on Wednesday, as he confirmed to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic that the starting center had "definitely went through most of practice." An encouraging update, but perhaps missing the team's next game against the Denver Nuggets would be in his own best interests.
Nikola Jokic toughest possible matchup for Ighodaro
We're not suggesting that the third-year big man ducks any opponent, and it is scary how much the absence of the former second-round pick has been felt by the Suns to begin the campaign. But if you go back to opening night of the 2025-26 season, Ighodaro was surprisingly inserted into the starting lineup, and the Nuggets were the opponent.
The Suns lost that one 133-111, with Ighodaro limited to four points and a single rebound across 23 minutes of action. So chastening was the lesson at the hands of what was, at the time, a true Western Conference contender: it took Ighodaro until after Christmas to rebuild his confidence and begin to contribute in a meaningful way every night once more.
Jokic is the final boss for all centers in the NBA, and that represents a problem for Ighodaro, as that is not even his preferred position. He has done wonderfully to win the battle for this spot in Phoenix, but the reality is that he is only being used in that position by Coach Ott out of necessity. Youngster Khaman Maluach is not ready, while Duop Reath and Drew Timme are backups at best.
Going back to that night in October of 2025, Jokic finished with 14 points, 15 assists, and a team-high +27 for the game. Ighodaro was never expected to be able to stop the multiple-time MVP, but being steamrolled did his confidence no good. The Suns can't afford for that to happen again, because Mark Williams isn't close to a return to the court as he was one year ago.
Suns' defense will only improve when Ighodaro returns
Unfortunately for the 24-year-old, the Suns currently have the worst defensive rating in the league, and that number will improve when he returns. They need him to suit up against Jokic, because the alternative is that Maluach suffers the same demolition that Ighodaro himself did at the same point in his career.
It is not Ighodaro's fault that he has been put in this tough spot, and the offseason addition of Miles Bridges means that being moved to his preferred spot at power forward does not look like it will happen anytime soon. Finishing on an optimistic note, if Ighodaro returns and holds his own against Jokic, that would give the entire franchise a boost. That is a massive ask.
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