What happened
Khaman Maluach is expected to get his first real stretch of steady NBA minutes this season after Mark Williams’ injury, following a rookie year in which he played 46 games but averaged only 8.9 minutes.
His rebound, block and steal production per 36 minutes was 15.0 last season, and it is sitting at 14.9 through three preseason games, including a stronger third outing on the glass and in the passing lanes.
Phoenix still appears to view the center spot as a defensive, complementary role, so Maluach’s play could affect the rotation even if the offense flows through other starters. The sample is still small, so his minutes picture remains unsettled.
Automated brief based on the linked report. Lineup context is analysis; official starting-five labels come separately from our game data provider.
Original reporting: Welcome to Malu-Watch, where the numbers tell part of the story — Yahoo Sports ↗