Cooper Flagg and his Duke teammates have been putting up brilliant performances in the NBA Summer League. After dropping 10 points against Bronny James in his debut with the Dallas Mavericks, Flagg put up a 31-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs. Despite his stellar effort, the Mavs fell short and suffered a 69-76 loss to the number two overall pick, Dylan Harper’s team. Among Flagg’s talented Duke teammates who were in Summer League action was the Phoenix Suns‘ Khaman Maluach.
Cooper Flagg speaks on Khaman Maluach’s Summer League performance
Khaman Maluach was everywhere on the floor when his Suns team faced the Washington Wizards in the Summer League. He scored 14 points and grabbed five boards while blocking two shots. Maluach shot 1-6 from three-point range, which is not great efficiency, but it at least showed that he could potentially develop into a threat from beyond the arc.
Speaking on his former Duke teammate’s Summer League debut, Flagg said: “I love Khaman, he’s like one of my best friends, he’s a great kid, he’s a great player too. “He’s very versatile; he can do a lot on the court. I watched his game last night. I thought he was very good, just trying to settle in. “I think he showed he can shoot the three consistently, and he’ll be confident shooting that, and shots will fall. He’s just a great kid, and I think he’s gonna be very successful.
“He’s only been playing for four years; he has a long way to go, and I think he’s gonna be very successful.”
Khaman Maluach is going to be an important player for the Phoenix Suns
Maluach was picked tenth overall by the Suns after Rich Paul’s pre-draft conversation with owner Mat Ishbia. The key reason why the team wanted him was his defensive brilliance. Despite taking up basketball later than most of the lottery picks, Maluach developed defensive IQ quickly and put that to use in his college career with Duke.
He averaged 1.3 blocks in the NCAA tournament, while also stepping in by scoring 8.6 points per game. Maluach was not a willing three-point shooter in college and shot only 0.4 attempts per game. However, in his very first Summer League game, he attempted six shots, which shows the work he has put into his shooting during the draft process.
The Suns have struggled to find defensive solidity in the past few years; meanwhile, they have also lacked a center who can score. This is why Maluach’s Summer League debut gave the Suns management many reasons to be happy. They have worked a lot on their roster in the offseason and continue to do so, as a contract buyout with Bradley Beal now seems imminent. Once that is completed, the Suns will have more clarity and be able to make more moves to become a solid NBA team.
