Former Duke Basketball Center off to HOT Start in Summer League

The Phoenix Suns began their unofficial rebuild last offseason, moving on from Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant. As they look to continue to build around Devin Booker, a big need for the Suns was at the center position.

They have addressed it a few different ways but both involving former Duke players. 

They traded for Mark Williams from Charlotte and then opted to draft Khaman Maluach as a lottery pick. Maluach's first year was a bit of a red-shirt year, playing in 46 games and averaging 8.9 minutes per game. The 19-year-old is still very raw in terms of talent and is looking to get his feet under him some more. 

That's why he's playing in the NBA Summer League for the Suns. And so far, it looks like it was a great decision. 

In three games in the Summer League, Maluach has finished with a double-double in each game. So far, he's averaging 18.3 points, 12 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and two made 3-pointers per game (42.8%). That includes a big 21 point performance against the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a back-to-back set of games. 

The early returns for his second offseason have been good for Maluach and as Burn City Sports writes, it could force head coach Jordan Ott's hand soon enough:

In just a little over a year, the 7’1 center has completely elevated his game in every aspect. He has become a dominate presence in the paint dunking it on top of everyone, while providing a steady outside shot. And defensively, Maluach’s lateral movement and athleticism has greatly improved. He has learned how to carry his impactful weight and size, using it for his advantage against opposing drivers.

His leap could lead to head coach Jordan Ott pushing him into the backup center role that Oso Ighodaro currenty holds or making a drastic leap of moving him above starter Mark Williams. The lob threat and rim protection that Maluach brings adds another layer to the Suns that Ighodaro and Williams can’t match. Summer League can be fool’s gold for some players and teams, but Phoenix should take the risk and unleash the 19-year-old.

When the Suns drafted the talented center out of Duke, they knew he would be a bit of a project to start. It was going to take time. For a team that reached the NBA Playoffs but were quickly eliminated, finding some post presence should help them in a very tough Western Conference.