Oso Ighodaro

11 сентября 2026 г.

Primed for larger role

Ighodaro has a chance to begin the season as Phoenix's starting center after Mark Williams underwent shoulder surgery Thursday.

Анализ

The expectation is that Williams will be on the shelf for about five months, likely ruling out the big man until sometime around the All-Star break. Ighodaro filled in serviceably when Williams was injured in 2025-26, as the former averaged a productive 8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game while shooting 67.4 percent from the field over 22 regular-season appearances with Williams unavailable. However, Ighodaro did shoot a paltry 40.8 percent from the free-throw line in those outings. Benjamin Garcia of the Locked On Podcast Network is hearing internal praise directed toward Khaman Maluach, who just averaged 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals per game across four appearances in a dominant Summer League run, so the Suns appear to have an intense camp battle brewing for the top center spot in Williams' stead.