The Phoenix Suns once again optioned 10th overall pick Khaman Maluach to the G League, and once again, it’s good for his development. Repetition creates retention. No reps means no growth. He is young. Phoenix is surprisingly competitive, so minutes at the NBA level are rare. That is why the G League exists, so you lean on it and let him breathe.
Last time he was down there, I tracked every quarter. It wasn’t the prettiest result, and boy did the doomers come out in spades. One game does not determine success or failure. One step in development does not meant the ladder is broken.
On Sunday, while the NFL was dominating that airwaves, I was once again tracking Khaman Maluach’s play on the G League stage. Thank you, Arizona Sports, for broadcasting these games.
So tracked I did, as we want to see how Maluach builds, how he adjusts, and how he learns. 19-year-old bigs with thin experience need time. They do not walk into an NBA rotation and dominate.
And for those who want to pound the table and demand minutes in Phoenix, here is the truth: he is not ready. But in the same breath, the pick is not wasted. Development takes time, and patience is a skill too. You should feel better knowing they are growing him slowly rather than tossing him into the fire and hoping he swims.
And to the folks waving the Derik Queen flag because he has early shine in New Orleans, save it. If my aunt had balls, she would be my uncle, you know? The ‘disease of what if’ will rot you from the inside if you let it, as you’ll never know what the outcome woul dhave been if the Suns opted to take the big from Maryland. Different players, different timelines, different environments. You do not swap one into the other and expect the same story.
So here is how Khaman Maluach looked today in Tempe against Stockton, quarter by quarter. And, of course, here is your graphic:
First Quarter: Warming Up
Maluach showed up early and looked like he belonged. One of his first defensive stands ended in a forced miss. Then he pulled out a Chris Paul style rip through from about 18 feet, drew contact, no whistle reward, but still a little eyebrow raiser. A loose entry pass turned into a turnover, then he cleaned up the next trip with his first rebound on a long miss.
He settled in with effort plays. Snagged an offensive board, went left, kissed a soft hook off the glass, first points on the board. He sat for a breather, then checked back in late and turned the tempo up. First play back, he read the zone, jumped a pass, took a steal the other way. He wiped a shot clean at the rim, sprinted out like a big who wants to eat, and capped it with a dunk.
Second Quarter: Activity Everywhere
Maluach flowed out of a dribble handoff, slipped into the paint, took the entry feed, and missed the first look, but he stayed with it. Offensive board, put-back, whistle, and one. Free throw good. He ripped through his matchup for another offensive rebound, pushed the ball up the floor, drew contact, and knocked down both freebies.
On defense, the size showed again. Another drive deterred, another miss, and he swallowed the rebound. He later got a clean catch-and-shoot look from deep. It didn’t fall, but the form looked smoother than his attempts last time he was with the Valley. Same story a few possessions later. Close, but short off the front iron.
He kept affecting shots, though. One floater that looked automatic turned into a wild fling off the glass, the second, he went up to challenge it. No block recorded, but the play belonged to him. His turnover came when he tried to thread a full-court pass after scooping a loose ball. Right idea, wrong angle, ball sailed out.
He picked up a foul on a recovery block that showed aggression more than recklessness. A long elbow three came up short again, but he closed the quarter, making life miserable at the rim, even on plays that won’t live in the box score.
Third Quarter: Boards, Blocks, and a Lot of Activity
He opened the half by cleaning up a missed free throw, then erased another look at the rim and grabbed the board again. His first points of the quarter came off a strong attack, setting the tone early. Next trip down, he spiked a shot like a volleyball player protecting the net. Pure violence.
A moving screen gave him his second foul, but he answered with his tenth rebound not long after. Phoenix started using him more aggressively, trapping in the corners, shrinking space with his length. In transition, he let one fly from deep. No rim, all backboard. Keep shooting though. Reps matter.
The Kings clanked a three and he vacuumed another board. He owned the glass in this stretch, possession after possession ending in his hands. Later, he slipped into space on a pick and roll with Koby Brea, caught the pocket pass clean, and banked in the finish. Smooth. Simple basketball done right.
Fourth Quarter: Final Push, Some Bumps, Still Active
He checked back in with a little more than seven minutes left. Faced up at the top of the key and put the ball on the deck, drove right, and got met at the rim. First shot, first block. Next trip on defense, he contested, cleaned up the miss, and logged his first board of the quarter.
He tried again on the left block, same story. Two attempts, two rejections. Growing pains. Off a Brea miss, he crashed hard, stole the offensive rebound, and finished through the chaos. A moving screen call followed, his second of the night. Learning curve stuff, but he stayed engaged.
The late game got away from Phoenix, which limited his rebounding chances. Hard to rack them up when Sacramento refuses to miss. The Kings poured it on and closed it out, but Khaman stayed active through the horn.
This was a much better performance, and I am not talking only about the counting stats. He was where he needed to be, doing what the play required, reading situations in rhythm. The physicality popped. He met bodies on the glass instead of fading away like we saw in earlier G League stints. The three-point shot has miles to go, yeah. He is taking them, though. Wide open above the break. One in transition. None fell, but this is where you shoot them and live with the results.
What caught my eye was how Phoenix used him defensively. They brought him up to help in those corner traps, had him show at the level, then drop back, and he still owned the paint. Stockton players saw him coming and threw floaters high off the glass, hoping he would not wipe them into the seats. Length changes behavior, and he has plenty.
His offense had shape, too. Dribble handoffs. Pick-and-roll work. You can see him learning where to roll, where the open space lives. In Summer League and earlier G League work, he rolled right into bodies. Today, he found pockets, took feeds, and finished plays. It looked smoother. It looked more natural.
So yes, this was strong. Not perfect, but fluid. Like development is settling in his bones. Phoenix can send him to Tempe, let him stack reps, then pull him back up when the next layer is ready. That is how you grow a young big. Step by step. Repetition on repeat.