Dylan Kane<\/a>\/Cronkite News)<\/p>\nPHOENIX \u2013 Phoenix general manager Brian Gregory went into this offseason looking to improve on the team\u2019s lackluster rim protection. Not only did he address that need in a trade for Mark Williams, but also, with the acquisition of another former Duke player: 7-foot-2-inch center Khaman Maluach. <\/p>\n
Through two practices, Suns coach Jordan Ott likes what he sees from the rookie.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust the overall size and rim protection, you can feel it every second he\u2019s out there,\u201d Ott said. \u201cWe\u2019re learning more about him, but he\u2019s been great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ott, who was a Cleveland assistant coach last season, helped guide a roster that featured two rim protectors in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, who was last season\u2019s Defensive Player of the Year. Allen and Mobley have been integral to Cleveland\u2019s success and path to last year\u2019s Eastern Conference No. 1 seed. <\/p>\n
With the additions of Williams and Maluach, the Suns could be looking to go in a similar direction in Phoenix. Ott said every option is on the table when it comes to the pair sharing the court.<\/p>\n
Last season, the Suns allowed the fourth-highest field goal percentage from less than 5 feet away from the basket. It is a stat that contributed to their 27th ranked defense and 36-46 record.<\/p>\n
\u201cKhaman was No. 1 on our list if available,\u201d Gregory said. \u201cI think defensively we have a chance to become very good.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the ninth pick, when it became clear Maluach would be available for Phoenix, Gregory said there was a burst of excitement in the draft room. The Suns were hopeful, and as the 10th pick inched closer, it became increasingly clear that Phoenix would be drafting its top target. <\/p>\n
Last year, a collection of centers suited up for the Suns: Jusuf Nurkic, Mason Plumlee, Nick Richards and Oso Ighodaro. However, none of those players provide the rim protecting archetype that Gregory was after this offseason. But Maluach fits that description, and if there is one skill that can translate to the NBA right away, it has been defending the rim. <\/p>\n
Victor Wembanyama, Walker Kessler, Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan are among the centers that have come into the NBA and made an instant impact defensively. Given the opportunities Maluach will have to play next season, it is possible for him to showcase that skill early on in his NBA career. <\/p>\n
In his lone season at Duke, Maluach starred as a defensive presence. He was one of the top shot blockers in the ACC, averaging 1.3 per game, and a key contributor to the Blue Devils\u2019 run to the Final Four. Maluach is ready to bring those strong defensive instincts to Phoenix. <\/p>\n
\u201c(Defense is) going to have an impact right away,\u201d Maluach said. \u201cIt\u2019s about being impactful whether or not you have the ball in your hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maluach provides the Suns with a fresh start. Phoenix has prioritized scoring in its roster construction around Devin Booker in the past few seasons. With Kevin Durant now off to Houston, and more change potentially to follow, the Suns are not only reshaping their roster but also their identity. <\/p>\n
Maluach\u2019s first opportunity to show Suns fans what they can expect from him in his rookie season will come in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas from Friday to July 20. <\/p>\n
\u201cJust being able to be a pro for the first time, \u201cMaluach said. \u201cBeing able to do the small stuff on and off the basketball court.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Maluach, the \u201csmall stuff\u201d includes taking care of his body and staying available. He will soon be able to enact those habits with his first professional opportunity as an NBA player approaches. <\/p>\n
DeMarre Carroll \u2013 a former NBA player for 11 seasons \u2013 will coach the Suns\u2019 Summer League team. Like Ott, Carroll has been impressed with Maluach\u2019s defensive ability. <\/p>\n
\u201cKhaman\u2019s been great,\u201d Carroll said. \u201cThe biggest thing he\u2019s been bringing to practice that I love is his communication skills. The ceiling is very high for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suns forward Ryan Dunn said Maluach is \u201cspecial\u201d for an 18-year-old. Maluach will be 19 once the NBA regular season starts in October. <\/p>\n
The Suns will play four games in Las Vegas \u2013 barring playoff qualification. Their campaign begins Friday as they take on the Washington Wizards. <\/p>\n
After being drafted by the Suns, Maluach shared a moment he had with Devin Booker at the Paris Olympics last summer. Booker told Maluach he would see him next year given his upward trajectory as a player.<\/p>\n
Booker will now be seeing even more of Maluach as the Suns aim to turn things around.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Phoenix Suns 10th overall pick Khaman Maluach poses with general manager Brian Gregory at rookie introductory press conference…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":163785,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3791],"tags":[7,3223,18658,666,3991,958,6073,1011,6,3494,2065,472,4045,4909,604],"class_list":{"0":"post-163784","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix-suns","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-brian-gregory","10":"tag-demarre-carroll","11":"tag-duke","12":"tag-jordan-ott","13":"tag-khaman-maluach","14":"tag-las-vegas","15":"tag-mark-williams","16":"tag-nba","17":"tag-nba-summer-league","18":"tag-phoenix","19":"tag-phoenix-suns","20":"tag-phoenixsuns","21":"tag-ryan-dunn","22":"tag-suns"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/114836023923617711","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163784\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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