The Phoenix Suns opened their season Wednesday night with a narrow home victory over the Sacramento Kings, edging out a four-point win after trailing by as many as 17 points at halftime. While the final result energized the Phoenix crowd, the team’s rotation choices left fans with plenty of questions.
As expected, guard Devin Booker powered the Suns’ offense, scoring 31 points on 10-for-19 shooting from the field. New addition Dillon Brooks, acquired in an offseason trade from the Houston Rockets, impressed in his debut as well. He scored 22 points and provided a needed defensive spark on the perimeter. Grayson Allen contributed 18 points and seven assists. Royce O’Neale was the only other Phoenix player to reach double figures, adding 12 points off the bench.
Despite the victory, the most surprising storyline of the night came at the center position. First-year head coach Jordan Ott chose to start Oso Ighodaro, a 2024 second-round draft pick, over Mark Williams, a young center acquired in exchange for two first-round selections last summer. Williams still played meaningful minutes off the bench, while third-string center Nick Richards provided an efficient eight points on 3-for-3 shooting in only five minutes of action.
However, top-10 pick Khaman Maluach — selected No. 10 overall in June — did not appear in the game, raising eyebrows among fans and analysts. Maluach, a promising center out of Duke, was joined on the bench by fellow rookie Rasheer Fleming, who also did not receive any playing time.
Both players will look to make their debuts Friday, when the Suns travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers. With a long season ahead, Ott will have additional opportunities to experiment with his frontcourt rotation.
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