Suns’ Khaman Maluach on strength gain, Devin Booker’s leadership and what he admires about LeBron, Giannis, Embiid & Jokić (EXCLUSIVE)

Depending on the play, Phoenix Suns rookie center Khaman Maluach either appeared overwhelmed or comfortable with his surroundings.

Consider how things played out last week in the Suns’ pre-season opening win over the Los Angeles Lakers during his NBA debut. In one sequence, Maluach quickly committed an offensive foul, struggled to finish at the rim and conceded an open jumper after botching a rotation. Following a short breather, Maluach returned and finished with a strong two-handed dunk.

Those otherwise forgettable plays during the Suns’ pre-season opener could foreshadow Maluach’s rookie season. Phoenix acquired Maluach’s draft rights with the No. 10 pick as part of the Kevin Durant trade with the Houston Rockets after helping Duke reach a Final Four with his defense and post presence. But the Suns have also tempered expectations on how Maluach will develop his rookie season.

“This is going to be a steep learning curve because he’s only 19,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said. “So we’re all going to be able to show some grace. There’s going to be some nights where you want more. Then there’s going to be nights where he’s the only person on the court that can do what he does.”

Yet, the Suns have become impressed with how quickly Maluach has already developed. After struggling during NBA Summer League, Maluach estimated he gained about 10 pounds from 253 to 263. After appearing passive in Summer League play, Maluach has impressed the Suns with his aggressiveness.

So much so that Suns star Devin Booker described Maluach’s potential as “above the roof” and that “his head is in a great place.”

“He’s just so young and he’s so talented at the same time,” Booker said. “But the communication has been not only a lot, but loud, too. That’s important to be an anchor of the defense. Him setting unbelievable screens. I’m excited to see his growth. I’m excited to see where he’s at right now.”

So is Maluach, whose energetic on-court energy contrasts to his laid-back personality off-the-court. NBA rookies typically lack that trait. Instead, they often ride the 82-game schedule as if they hopped on a roller coaster. Following his pre-season debut, Maluach spoke about his mistakes and improvements in a measured tone.

“I just let the game come to me. I always tried to do the right thing and have an open mind to learn new stuff,” Maluach said. “I just stay positive out there. It’s important. If a play happens and it messes up, you’re not going to go back. So the best thing is to forget about it and move on to the next time.”

Maluach spoke briefly with Sportskeeda about how he added strength to his 7-foot-1 frame, Booker’s leadership, South Sudan’s Olympic run and growing up admiring other international big men, including Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.

What did you do this offseason to put on strength?

Malauch: “Camp has been great and the offseason was great. I got to stay back in Phoenix and adjust and get used to everything before the season got here and get my routines right. Every day, I woke up in the morning, went to the gym and had breakfast around 8 am. Then by 8:30 am, I’m on the table and I get treatment and get stretched out. Then after that, I got in the weight room. Then after the weight room, I got on the basketball court. After the basketball court, I do things with recovery and conditioning with bikes and running. That was my day. Then depending on the day, sometimes I’d come back and shoot at night.”

What’s been your diet?

Malauch: “I’ve just been eating the food that has been at the facility. I guess it’s been the right food and they’re getting me right. I’m just eating the food that is healthy to eat. It’s been all of the right stuff.”

What do you expect this will do for you?

Malauch: “With building strength, I’m getting there. I’m getting healthy. That is the first thing. My body is my temple. So if I take care of my body, then I will be able to achieve all of my goals. It’s about understanding the game more and getting to learn new stuff all the time and just being able to find an open mind so I can learn.”

What have you learned?

Malauch: “I think overall, I’ve learned more about NBA basketball with the new style of play, the reads and understanding how to get advantages against any NBA team. That’s what my focus has been on. That’s important. If I want to get on the floor, I have to do that. That’s why it’s important.”

What do you expect you can do with that your rookie year?

Malauch: “I have expectations for myself, but I don’t think really too hard and I don’t really think too far. I try to learn every game. I’m comfortable with whatever Coach wants me to play. I’ll do that role. I’ll do whatever it takes to get on the floor. I just keep learning each and every day. We keep on getting better.”

Your coach said that he likes your game, but that everyone needs to give you grace as you go through the learning process. How do you view that?

Malauch: “I think that will help. That helps for a team to believe in you and to give you time to really get better and get you to the potential that they expect you to be.”

You played at a pretty big hoops powerhouse with Duke. How do you think that will prepare you for the NBA?

Malauch: “It really helps. Playing at Duke, it felt like that was my rookie year in the NBA. Most of the stuff that I learned at Duke is similar to the NBA. I learned the small stuff, such as the importance of being on time. I learned what it took to be a pro. I learned all of that at Duke. It made it easier for me to transfer into the NBA. The plays are very similar.”

What has Book been like as a leader to you so far?

Malauch: “Book is an older guy on the team. All the vets are great leaders. They try to guide us and show us what the season has been like because they have been in our shoes before. Book talks about being on time and doing the little stuff as a rookie. It’s all about doing the little stuff, whether it’s being in the weight room, the training room or showing up to recovery. All of that important because it always adds up.”

What were the highlights of Book’s pre-camp get together?

Malauch: “It was fun being in Flagstaff. It was my first time there in a different part of Arizona. It was really fun. Everybody was there. So that was our first look at the team and the first time we got together. I enjoyed Flagstaff with how it is green and how it is beautiful. I spent my time out there driving around golf carts and having fun.”

Did you golf?

Malauch: “I tried, but they didn’t have clubs my size.” (laughs)

With your background with South Sudan and growing up in Uganda, how did you get introduced to the NBA?

Malauch: “I remember seeing people dunking. I remember people playing in the Finals, and the stands are crowded. I remember seeing the Cavs come back after being down 3-1 [in the 2016 Finals to Golden State]. I didn’t know if that was crazy or really a big thing until I got into basketball. That made me understand what the playoffs and the Finals were like.”

Who were the players you watched growing up?

Malauch: “I watched LeBron [James]. I watched Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. That was in his prime when he won back-to-back MVP (2019, 2020). I watched Joel Embiid in his prime, too. I watched [Nikola] Jokić this whole time. I always watched other players that were coming up during the 2020 era. I love their attitude and how they’re not too high and not too low. They stay the same, no matter whether they’re losing or winning.”

What has Luol Deng’s influence been to you?

Malauch: “As a guy coming from South Sudan, we’re coming from the same country. It has always been motivating to see him do whatever he does. It’s always a motivation for me. The Olympic run was a huge impact. I think it was a great run. We made a lot of impact on our people back home.”

What do you think the South Sudan national team can do in the future?

Malauch: “We can do big things. We can do big things if we do it the right way. We don’t know what the future will tell us.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.