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The Phoenix Suns took Khaman Maluach with the No. 10 pick in this year's NBA draft. The Sudanese played just one season of college basketball at Duke before going pro.
On Friday, some anonymous college basketball coaches heaped praise on Maluach's ability.
"You can throw him out there and he's going to be able to impact the game with his size and shot-blocking, his defensive and offensive rebounding," one coach said via ESPN's Jeff Borzello. "In the NBA game, you have to have a 5-man like that, but the young ones, it's just going to take him time. He does have some skill; he banged in a 3 early in the year, and he has the potential to step out and shoot 3s.Another coach also said that Maluach can develop into a top player in the NBA, suggesting that the player is yet to reach his full potential.
"He's still going to be a project at the end of the day," another coach said.Maluach was the third Duke player to get drafted in the top 10 this year, after Cooper Flagg (No. 1 to Dallas Mavericks) and Kon Knueppel (No. 4 to Charlotte Hornets).
How did Khaman Maluach fare in his lone season at Duke?
Former Duke star Khaman Maluach - Source: GettyAlthough Khaman Maluach didn't boast stats like Flagg and Knueppel, he was a vital cog for Duke last season. He averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 1.3 blocks per game across 39 appearances for the Blue Devils.
Maluach helped Duke win the ACC regular season title and the conference tournament. He was also a key player for the Blue Devils in helping them reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Houston.
Maluach has the athleticism to play in the NBA. He is also known for his rim protection and the ability to finish moves well.
It will be interesting to see how he develops at Phoenix next season.
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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash
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