With Mark Williams set to miss an extended period of time for the Phoenix Suns as a result of shoulder surgery, many fans think sophomore center Khaman Maluach is about to be turned loose by the franchise. That would be a disastrous way to use the 19-year-old, as he is not yet ready for such a big role with the Suns.
Suns must continue to bring Maluach along slowly
Tempting as it may be to see what Maluach can do in a bigger role after a nice Summer League display, inserting him into the starting five could derail his confidence if he fails to produce right away. Centers take longer to develop into consistent contributors, and Maluach was as raw a prospect as you will find during his rookie campaign.
Let us not forget he spent time in the G League in year one, while with the Suns, he appeared in only 46 games (with a single start) and managed less than nine minutes of playing time each night.
Expecting him to eat up the 23.6 minutes Williams played last time out is crazy. The Suns would love to have another center on the roster right now, but that won't be happening anytime soon.
Coach Jordan Ott showed during his first season in charge that he favors veterans to win as many games as possible. With Devin Booker about to turn 30-years-old, the Suns don't have the luxury of letting Maluach play through his mistakes in the wake of Williams' forced absence.
Oso Ighodaro the player who must take on larger role
In order to bridge the gap between Williams missing now and Maluach one day starting for the Suns, Oso Ighodaro is the player who should be inserted into the starting lineup at center.
He has been put in this spot before, and although it did not go well at the start of last season, he has since found his groove in The Valley. Having Maluach backing him up is the smart choice, while the Suns could also look to deploy more small-ball lineups than we are used to seeing.
Doing so would also ensure the team is playing to Ighodaro's strengths, as he is a springy and athletic big and not one who can successfully wrestle with the true centers on a nightly basis.
Having Maluach check into the game to dominate for small periods would then make sense, as this is how he would have been utilized behind Williams before that shoulder procedure. Maluach is likely the future at the center spot, and the Suns need to protect him from being expected to do too much, too soon.
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