At Duke, Khaman Maluach was one of the first players to take advantage of the rule change that allowed players to use numbers 6-9, choosing #9.
There’s a very easy and basic explanation. Maluach: “I got No. 10 because I was the 10th pick. I just got No. 10 and it was available, so I decided to take it.”
Pretty basic explanation really.
He’s still a work in progress of course and has only played for about five years. Plus unlike most young players, he is just 18 and 7-2 and that’s a lot of growth in a big hurry. It’s going to take a while for his body and mind to sync up at the highest possible level. So what does a successful rookie season for Malauch look like? Is he a project or more than that?
One thing that people in Phoenix may or may not understand is just how fast Maluach improved at Duke this season. With a minimum 86 games (counting pre-season) and competing with former Duke big man Mark Williams on a daily basis assuming both stay healthy, Maluach’s rate of improvement may accelerate dramatically.