Khaman Maluach ☆ Follow

Starts 2 of 2 games · 6th on PHX in minutes · Rotation role

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• X Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) · Report · 37 h ago

  Suns big Khaman Maluach as Oso Ighodaro (right oblique strain) is listed as doubtful for tonight's game vs. Warriors: "It's the same approach for me. It don't matter whether Oso is out or whether he's playing, we both have the same approach. We're good players. We're there for

  original post ↗

• Podcast Zach Lowe, The Zach Lowe Show · Analysis · Oct 22 around the league

  Lowe doubts how far the Suns can go if Maluach and Ighodaro are the center pairing and play like this. He still has Phoenix as a play-in team. He also says Morant and Dame looked okay together for Portland.

  “Opening Night Overreactions, Alarming Trends, Hot Takes, and More!” at 47:46 · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Suns · 4 points · Oct 22
  • The starting lineup, as the host described it: Khaman Maluach, Devin Booker, Miles Bridges, Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. They shot a combined 3-for-13 from three. at 21:05
  • unnamed sources inside the Suns organization (reported): The host relayed his own earlier sourced report, posted on Twitter after Mark Williams' injury: Jordan Ott would likely give Oso Ighodaro a chance to start, but the feeling inside the building was that it was Khaman Maluach's job to lose. at 27:04
  • The host said the starting lineup was very bad defensively; outside of some moments from Khaman Maluach, nearly everyone struggled. at 21:27
  • In the host's opinion, if Khaman Maluach is going to start, he must show he can shoot threes, or 'he's got to go' from the starting role. The host said he did not attempt a three, had 4 rebounds and was a net negative on offense. at 28:22

  “EMBARRASSED: The Suns Get BLOWN Out By Blazers As Devin Booker And Miles Bridges FAIL To Show Up” · listen ↗

• RotoWire Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic · Report · Oct 21

  Khaman Maluach: Starting Wednesday — Maluach will start in Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Trail Blazers, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.

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• Podcast Matt Ishbia (quoted), via Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective · Quote · Oct 21 name not confirmed around the league partly checked episode

  Ishbia on the second-year big heard as Khaman Maluach: a monster inside on defense, he can shoot the three, he directs traffic on defense, he just turned 20, and the Suns will build with him.

  “Full Opening Night Reaction - What Stars Made Major Statements?” at 32:53 · listen ↗

• Podcast Hardwood Knocks host · Prediction · Oct 21 around the league

  Mark Williams is not healthy to start the year. A host's wild-card reasoning: Oso Ighodaro starts, and Khaman Maluach moves ahead of Williams and could close games.

  “2026-27 NBA Awards Predictions AND Wild Card Picks” at 1:03:41 · listen ↗

• X Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) · Report · Oct 22

  Phoenix Suns big Khaman Maluach on starting the season opener in 124-83 loss to Blazers (2 points on 1-of-2 FGs, 6 rebounds in 16 minutes,52 seconds: "Oh man, it felt great. The game didn't go the way we wanted it to go, but we've got to flush it and move on. Learn from this

  original post ↗

• X Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) · Report · Oct 21

  Suns Jordan Ott still mum on who will start at center between Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach. #Suns

  original post ↗

  also reported by Benjamin Garcia, Locked On Suns

• Podcast Locked On Suns · Analysis · Oct 21 wording unclear in audio

  Cilley says Ott's playoff rotations and substitutions fell flat. In the first or second playoff game, Ott put in Khaman Maluach, there was a roughly 30-point fourth quarter, the game nearly flipped, and the starters had to come back in.

  “SEASON PREVIEW: Devin Booker MUST Get Back To All-NBA Status For Suns To Win A Playoff Series” at 30:29 · listen ↗

• Podcast The Mismatch host · Analysis · Oct 20 around the league

  Phoenix: Mark Williams is not available for an unknown length of time. A host also says Khaman Maluach effectively redshirted last year. He doubts their front-court size and rim protection can support the backcourt, and dropped Phoenix out of his play-in after Jalen Green returned.

  “Gearing Up for the Best Regular Season Ever” at 32:26 · listen ↗

• Podcast Hardwood Knocks · 2 points · Oct 19
  • Khaman Maluach started two preseason games at recording, and Dan says the Mark Williams injury opens the door to the starting job. at 54:03
  • Dan sets an over/under on whether Maluach becomes Phoenix's starting center before or after Christmas; Mort takes before. at 54:18

  “1 Big Question For Every NBA Teams In The Western Conference” · listen ↗

• X Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) · Report · Oct 16

  Suns starters vs. Jazz Devin Booker Jalen Green Dillon Brooks Miles Bridges Khaman Maluach OUT: Luke Kennard (left knee tendon strain), Oso Ighodaro (hip soreness). Jordan Ott said he believes Kennard is in a "good place." Said Ighodaro is on track to play season opener Oct.

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• Podcast Locked On Suns · 2 points · Oct 15
  • Host's projected bench lineup: Collin Gillespie, Luke Kennard, Jalen Green, Khaman Maluach and Ryan Dunn. at 10:33
  • Host says that at Summer League, Khaman Maluach was clearly further along in his development than Fleming. at 23:56

  “BREAKOUT: Ryan Dunn Could Be The Missing Piece For The Phoenix Suns Off The Bench” · listen ↗

• X Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) · Report · Oct 14

  "Since I started taking basketball, I've been taking steps." Khaman Maluach after starting his 2nd straight preseason game. 3 points, 4 rebounds, 4 fouls in loss to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. On facing Wembanyama a 2nd straight game: "Top 5 player in the NBA, you can't

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• Podcast Locked On Suns · 3 points · Oct 14
  • Phoenix Suns (unnamed) (reported): Garcia says the team talks very highly of Khaman Maluach. He says their comments on Rasheer Fleming are not bad but far less glowing. at 27:19
  • Silly thinks the Suns expected a leap from Khaman Maluach but are not expecting one from Rasheer Fleming. He also says there is a logjam at the position. at 28:16
  • Silly says that when Khaman Maluach went to the G League, he put up about 25 and 15 and dominated. at 30:42

  “Why The Suns NEED Devin Booker to DELIVER Vintage Season Long Performance To Reach Their Peak” · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Suns · 10 points · Oct 13
  • unnamed sources (reported): Garcia says he was told the Suns expected Khaman Maluach to win the starting job, and that Maluach has clearly fallen back a little. at 4:18
  • Benjamin Garcia: Garcia, saying he has not sourced this, thinks the Suns expected Khaman Maluach and Green to have better chemistry than they do, and says Green has more chemistry with Oso Ighodaro. at 9:19
  • Voida says Khaman Maluach started the latest preseason game against the Spurs. He says it made sense to put a big body on Wemby, and expects the starting center role to stay fluid. at 10:55
  • Voida says Mark Williams was supposed to be part of the rotation and a developmental buffer for Khaman Maluach. He talks about Williams in the past or conditional tense and gives no reason for Williams' absence. at 11:50
  • Voida says Khaman Maluach's rebounding percentage over the first two preseason games, before his 15-rebound game against the Spurs, was 10%, compared with 22% in summer league and nearly 16% last year. He calls the sample very small. at 12:52
  • Voida says Khaman Maluach had 10 points and 15 rebounds in the most recent preseason game, three games into the preseason. at 19:55
  • people close to the situation (reported): Garcia says people close to the team are glowing about Khaman Maluach, but mention Rasheer Fleming only in passing, never negatively. Garcia reads this as a question mark over Fleming's progress. at 18:13
  • Suns personnel at media day (reported): Voida says that at media day everyone praised Khaman Maluach's progress, attitude, effort and vocal leadership, including how he has gone to Devin Booker to ask how he can be a better center for him. at 20:10
  • Voida says Khaman Maluach is coming in with the second unit, and that this has changed how the unit looks. at 20:58
  • Voida approves of the Suns making Khaman Maluach earn his starting job and minutes rather than handing them to him. This is his own characterization of the team's approach, not a quoted coach statement. at 21:35

  “PROGRESS REPORT: Why You Should Feel BETTER About The Phoenix Suns Going Into The Regular Season” · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Suns · 3 points · Oct 11
  • Benjamin Garcia: Khaman Maluach started tonight. The host notes Maluach never got to start alongside the actual first unit of Jalen Green, Booker, Brooks and Bridges. at 18:15
  • Benjamin Garcia: The host says Khaman Maluach looked lost again early. He feels it takes Maluach two to three game minutes or longer to get going, and says he has to become more consistent. Once Maluach got going, the host called it special. at 15:06
  • Benjamin Garcia: The host recalls, hedged with 'if I'm not mistaken', that Maluach blocked Wembanyama and the play turned into a Jalen Green fast-break basket. He sees Maluach as one of the few players who can make Wembanyama work hard. at 16:55

  “REACTION: The Phoenix Suns BEAT The Spurs As Jalen Green And Khaman Maluach DOMINATE!” · listen ↗

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