Khaman Maluach talks Summer League and NBA Draft | Phoenix Suns Media Availability

Khaman Maluach talks Summer League and NBA Draft | Phoenix Suns Media Availability

Let’s let the man hydrate first then Duke blue Duke. How was the first summer practice? Oh man, it’s been great. It’s been great to be around this guy. Um officially part of the team and u I’m blessed to be here. Have you enjoyed your conversations with coach so far and and kind of what he’s looking for you and what he’s seeing in your game? I mean, I’ve enjoyed my conversation with everybody on the staff, whether it’s on the coaching staff or or the medical side or in the weight room. I’ve I’ve just been enjoying everything and learning every time. Can you pronounce your last name for us, please? Alawash. Okay. I’ll try not to butcher. Secondly, as far as you being the lob threat that you are and defensively shot block, how do you feel like that can impact the group right away having those those skills for you? Yes. What’s what what was the question? Those skills, having those skills, how do you feel like they can impact the team right away? Being able to be a lob threat and a shot block on the defense. I mean, it’s I mean, it’s going to have impact right away. uh being able to get the lob or the lob being there as an option on uh it’s going to help another team space or or tag up to to to get the shooters wide open to the corners. What do you think of when she and Kobe got here and you on the court with them now? How what’s that feeling been like uh being with those two? I mean, I’m so excited. I’m excited to to be part of that class, too. And uh I’m happy to be on the court with everybody, all the guys that got in today, the guys who have been here for a year and um and the new team. So I’m excited to be around everybody. So you were saying on draft night that you ran into Devin Booker during the Olympics. Is that right? Yeah. How did that How did that unfold? I mean, yeah, I ran into him at the Olympics. Uh and he was at the dinner and I was at the dinner, too. And I got to meet him there. And he said, “See you next year.” Yeah. He told me, “See you next year.” But he was probably telling me like, “See you next year in the NBA?” Yeah. Did you know much about that one at that time? I mean, have you crossed passed him before? I mean, we we had played against each other, Team USA and South, right? Yeah. Well, you’ve been out here only a week, but how’s it uh playing with some of your other guys, some of the other rookies? I mean, I it’s it’s great. I mean, it’s fun uh being able to be around these guys every day. uh guys who have been here for for for a year now uh like Oso and and Ryan and them. It’s it’s just amazing to be around them and and get to learn from them uh and get to ask them questions about their rookie years, too. You mentioned it right there with Ryan and Elso being kind of veterans in the summer league setting. What have they specifically been telling you about, you know, this experience, you know, going from draft to summer league? I mean, it’s just small stuff like taking care of your body or or being on time or or taking care of everything off the basketball court and on the basketball court and uh that they’re there to us as veterans or big brothers cuz they’ve been through this and uh this is their second year. So, they know they know what’s up. Has it slowed down for you at all or is it still draft night to now or let’s say the draft process to now? Does it still feel sped up that you’re going from one thing to another to another to another? Are things slowed down for you since you’ve gotten here? I mean, not not really. Uh, I wouldn’t say slow down. I mean, as I said, I embrace everything. Uh, I enjoy every moment and I stay present. I don’t look too too much ahead or too much behind. If I told What would you have told me? Uh, if I told you you’d be sitting here, you were 13, went to that basketball camp, haven’t never played it, ended up where you are today. I mean, I’ll probably I’ll probably say no because by the time uh I didn’t know five or four years from by then uh I was going to be in this position right now. Last year defensively, it felt like you got a lot better with different pick and roll coverages as the year went on. Where do you feel like you improved defensively as the year kind of went on? I mean, as you said, I got better in defensive coverages. Um, I got better in a lot of different spots and u just knowing and uh or knowing how to navigate the game and how the game is going and being able to adjust in the middle of the game. How much is that something that you feel like is part of your wheelhouse being able to, you know, switch and and do different things that maybe a guy normally your size wouldn’t be able to do? I mean, I feel like uh that’s what I bring to the table defensively and that’s what I bring to a team and that’s what I bring on the table to impact a team and impact on the NBA game right away. How much is just film study a part of improving on that end specifically? I mean, just like everything else, just like you taking care of your body, you you you being on time, film is is part of it, too. And film is something you got to do if you want to get better. How’s the heat compete? How’s the heat here compared to the heat back home? Back home where in in your home country? Oh man, it’s not the same temperature. I mean, it’s hotter out here. This is a desert and uh so South Sudan is it’s not like that. But I would say Sagal Sagal is similar to Arizona. What expectations are you placing on yourself going into summer league? Uh man, just being able to, as I said, um just being able to be a pro for the first time and uh being able to do the small stuff off the basketball court and on the basketball code too and just being able to stay on top of everything and stay healthy. Thanks, Kam. Thanks,

After his first day of Summer League practice Khaman Maluach talks with media members about his 2025 NBA Draft experience, his skillset coming into the NBA, and excitement around joining the Suns.

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