It's not all that common for rookies to make a team better defensively. Insert Phoenix Suns first-year players Rasheer Fleming and Khaman Maluach. They've both been highly favored and touted by head coach Jordan Ott.
He's seen the potential ever since the Suns selected Maluach and Fleming in the 2025 NBA Draft. Both have the defensive capabilities to switch, play the pick-and-roll, and play bigger than their respective sizes.
As a result, it's allowed Ott to experiment and get creative. The offensive limitations might be there, but the defensive promise far exceeds any shortcomings on the other end.
For instance, he had a lineup with Royce O'Neale, Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Jalen Green, and Fleming in at the small-ball five.
It's an extremely small sample size, but that lineup posted an offensive rating of 141.7 and a defensive rating of 100 in only six minutes.
Will this lineup garner a net rating of 41.7 every time they're on the court? Likely not, but it's a good metric to get a gauge on and see what the potential could be.
Fleming's 7'5 wingspan and 9'1 standing reach make him the ideal small-ball center. Not to mention, his physicality and athleticism are way beyond those of a typical rookie.
Again, the number is small, but it feels as if Ott is optimistic about moving forward with it, depending on the scenario.
“Both games (vs Milwaukee and Indiana), it's felt pretty good,” Ott explained via AZCentral's Duane Rankin on X (formerly Twitter). “When exactly to go to it. Facing stretch bigs again.
“Some challenges that we have guarding those guys with our bigs are new. Just new situations that (rookie 7-footer Khaman Maluach) has been in. Thought we were able to respond and react in-game to try to find another way to get a road win.”
Rasheer Fleming + Khaman Maluach = Jordan Ott's defensive combo for Suns
Again, Fleming and Maluach, being rookies and garnering minutes, might have some skeptics, but they've earned their fair share of respect from their teammates and coaches.
Relentless work, playing with the G-League Valley Suns, and being continuously ready are all parts of the process that helped them get here. After all, the Suns trusted Fleming and Maluach by trading away Nigel Hayes-Davis and Nick Richards at the trade deadline.
While part of it was for salary cap purposes, it shows the trust the organization and the team as a whole have in the two rookies.
For the former St. Joe's forward, he has all the makings of an elite defensive player. As mentioned earlier, the physical gifts, along with his mentality, have intrigued many.
Even Suns teammates Grayson Allen and Collin Gillespie shared that Fleming has such a high ceiling. Devin Booker mentioned Maluach having a high basketball acumen for a center, and for someone as young as he is.
With where we are in the season, a contending team usually doesn't aim to put two rookies in for a substantial amount of time. Ott sees so much offensive and defensive potential, though.
The trust is growing with teammates, lineup experiments continue to go well, and it feels like Maluach and Fleming are playing free.
Phoenix's defensive rating already stands at the tenth-best in the association. An influx of lineup combinations could've disrupted a set five-man unit. However, it might've been a blessing in disguise because of the opportunity Fleming and Maluach both have.
Meaningful minutes and impacting the game on the defensive end with stout rim protection, perimeter defense, and never-ending hustle is exactly what Ott was so high on– and it's paying dividends.
