The Phoenix Suns are several days into their training camp ahead of the 2025-26 regular season, and the vibes have been mostly high. About the only concern right now is center Mark Williams, who is yet to do any meaningful work on a basketball court. He's not injured according to head coach Jordan Ott, but it feels like there's more to his absence than they're letting on.
It is clear that the veterans on this roster have been impressed by the influx of rookies and returning second years, with fellow big Khaman Maluach putting himself about early. His personality was infectious at media day, and his recounting of how he got the "Man-Man" nickname was hilarous.
Maluach already has a voice on defensive end.
One guy who has clearly noticed Maluach is swingman Grayson Allen, who is entering his third season with the franchise which puts him alongside Devin Booker as an old head here. It can take rookie prospects as raw as Maluach a long time to find their footing in the league, and offensively he likely isn't going to be an exception. On the defensive end however, Allen is loving hearing his voice.
Grayson Allen on Suns rookie 7-footer Khaman Maluach talking on defense: "He talks nonstop on the court. Like he's commanding the defense, calling out coverages, constantly talking. For a rookie, let alone a 19-year-old guy to come into a gym and do that first day of training… pic.twitter.com/Ygd0LYbTR6
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) September 27, 2025
It cannot be overstated how impressive this is. In a gym featuring Booker and with more established bigs such as Nick Richards also in the building, for Maluach to take on that level of responsibility right out the gate is exactly why the Suns drafted him in the first place. We did say that he would likely have to go down to the G League at some point this coming season, just to get some reps in.
But we'll be proven wrong quickly if Maluach can be a difference-maker each night. That's putting a lot of pressure on him to do so right away - even though the Suns aren't going to win many games - but if this can happen it also massively accelerates the franchise's rebuild around Booker. The NBA Finals team of 2021 had Deandre Ayton bossing the paint, the hope is Maluach can do the same.
Even if all of this talk does not translate into on the court success right away - and there will be some reality checks with who Maluach will have to match up against early on - it is still a great sign for how comfortable he must feel. With the continued question marks around Williams, this development comes at the perfect time in The Valley.