We haven’t heard as much about Duke rookie Khaman Maluach as we have about Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel or even second-round picks Tyrese Proctor and Sion James.
It’s not surprising: everyone understood that
Maluach is still raw.
So it’s also not surprising that, like a lot of rookies, he’s spending some time in the G-League. And he’s taking advantage of the time there, too.
On Thursday, Maluach had 22 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks in 32 minutes. Over his last three G-League games, Maluach is averaging 21.3 ppg, 16 rebounds and 3.3 blocks.
To be clear, the G-League is a step below the NBA…but it’s fair to say it’s a step above college ball too.
And what that suggests is this: last season, Duke fans saw Maluach grow by leaps and bounds. Now that he’s getting some consistent minutes, his improvement appear to be continuing.
In short, did he need to spend some time in the G-League? Almost certainly.
But as John Wooden said, borrowing from Seneca, luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Maluach is setting himself up for success.
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