Sun’s fears of passing on a future star grow as Khaman Maluach remains on the bench

There’s no reason to panic about a rookie after a month in the NBA. So I’m not going to do that regarding Suns center Khaman Maluach, who has barely cracked the rotation while Mark Williams and Nick Richards eat up the minutes at the fifth spot.

However, it’s also hard not to look at June’s draft decision and notice that Cedric Coward, who was picked right after Maluach, is already blossoming into a star for the Memphis Grizzlies, and recently Derik Queen of the Pelicans (pick No. 13) has also become extremely strong.

Again, there is no need to panic; no one expects Nick Richards to be a long-term answer at center, and centers often take longer than other positions to adjust to the NBA. Still, Coward and Maluach will always be grouped together because they were taken back-to-back in the draft, and it’s fair to feel a little nervous if the next guy (who may have better filled a need with the Suns after all) starts off promisingly.

If Maluach comes in and shows the ability to protect the rim and finish the play that made him a lottery pick in the first place, Suns fans will forget about the pick altogether after it. However, he doesn’t get a chance to do that at the moment.

Khaman Maluach has yet to crack the regular rotation of the sun

It is impossible to comment on Maluach’s game so far, as he has seen a total of 35 minutes. That’s essentially the playing time of one game, so it’s best we reserve judgment for now.

But until we actually see him play, Suns fans will continue to sweat as two players who were both in many Suns mock drafts continue to impress.

The question of when we shall Watching him play essentially comes down to how much the coaching staff likes Nick Richards. He’s done a great job as a backup center, and it’s hard to ask for major changes to the lineup considering how well the Suns are currently playing as a unit. If it’s not broken, at least they say.

Khaman Maluach will get his chance. I know it’s easy to panic now that he’s on the bench and Coward and Queen are both impressing in their first appearances, but patience was always going to be a virtue with the 19-year-old. Concerns about the success of boys, the Suns it didn’t depth is justified; However, it is foolish to draw conclusions about Maluach this early.