PHOENIX– Arguably the biggest test of Khaman Maluach's sophomore season came against Victor Wembanyama on Saturday. The Phoenix Suns big man did his best to limit him, and he did, catching Dillon Brooks's attention.

Granted, the latter joked in the locker room that when he yelled at Maluach during the offseason, and he nodded, that was the moment things shifted. But with the playful exchange aside, Brooks has always taken the time to mentor players with potential.

Much of Maluach's improvement came from the NBA Summer League. The former No. 10 overall pick led the tournament in rebounds and led centers in points per game.

Also, posting a near 50/40/80 shooting split was immediately eye-popping, but it was handling the physicality of the center spot that was the biggest improvement.

It all culminated against Wembanyama.

“I think it was great. I think I learned a lot,” he explained outside the locker room. “Guys like him, I try to go out there and learn as much as I can, whether it's me guarding them or how they play offense or how they carry themselves.

“I notice little stuff like that. So, it was a lot of learning out there for me.”

Dillon Brooks knows the Suns will need Khaman Maluach

Much of the discussion has been surrounding who will be Phoenix's starting center. Although head coach Jordan Ott has mentioned throughout the preseason that the team will evaluate, it can be a matchup-based decision.

Article Continues Below

For instance, Maluach matched up better with Wembanyama due to his wingspan, shot-blocking ability, and being nearly the same frame.

When Brooks was out on the floor, he saw the vision of when the Suns play Wembanyama again.

“It's a process,” he said. “He's young, and he gets to see those types of matchups and when we play them again because we're gonna play them about three times, that we have trust in him to guard him and give me a little break if I don't need to guard him.”

Phoenix will travel to San Antonio and play them again on Wednesday. It can be another instance of Maluach getting the start and solidifying his case to play, no matter the matchup.