Oso

Ighodaro

The Suns will be without their starting center for a second straight game, as they look to avoid falling behind two games in the series. Williams has not played since the first of two Play-In Tournament games, which the Suns lost to the Trail Blazers. Oso Ighodaro will likely start again in Williams’ spot.

The Suns will be without their starting center on Friday, with their season on the line. Williams played 22 minutes in the Play-In Tournament loss to the Trail Blazers. In his absence, Oso Ighodaro will likely fill in as Phoenix’s starting center.

Williams is listed as questionable on the second night of a back-to-back for right knee injury management reasons. If Williams is out, Oso Ighodaro will move into the starting lineup with Nick Richards coming off the bench.

Oso Ighodaro got the starting nod at center, and he finished with a 12/5/3/1 line across 20 minutes. Nick Richards also got some run and provided an 11/5/2 line across 16 minutes. Mark Williams will presumably be the Suns’ starting center if healthy, but Phoenix’s frontcourt rotation is a bit murky for now with Williams banged up.

Dunn is set to miss a third straight game to wrap up the weekend. Oso Ighodaro has taken advantage of injuries to Dunn and Kevin Durant and should comfortable be in the rotation against Orlando.

Ighodaro’s summer league experience has concluded, with the second-round pick showing off his playmaking abilities in Saturday’s consolation game. He dished out nine assists against Sacramento, impacting the Suns’ offense as a playmaking hub. While Phoenix did sign point guard Monte Morris and center Mason Plumlee in free agency, the passing ability could make Ighodaro fantasy-relevant despite his competing for the right to serve as Jusuf Nurkic’s backup. Plumlee’s experience could give him the edge heading into training camp.

Ighodaro made his summer debut on Saturday, and while the defensive production was there, he did not have a significant offensive impact. That was a bit surprising, as the ability to facilitate was one of Ighodaro’s strengths during his time at Marquette. However, summer league action can be tricky, as draft picks play alongside guys unlikely to be their teammates in October. Fantasy managers should not be too concerned about Ighodaro in the aftermath of his performance against the Warriors.

Ighodaro improved throughout his four seasons at Marquette, becoming a consistent option during his junior and senior campaigns. The 2023-24 season was his best, with the 6-foot-10 pivot averaging 13.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 32.5 minutes. Effective in the two-man game as a screener and playmaker out of the short roll, Ighodaro also shoots the ball reasonably well in the mid-range. Defensively, he was at his best as a rim protector, but there is still work to do regarding his defending on ball screens. This pick has been traded twice, with Portland sending it to New York and the Knicks forwarding it to Phoenix. Joining the Suns may give Oghodaro a better shot at some fantasy relevance as a rookie, as Phoenix needs frontcourt depth. His playmaking ability out of the short roll can be beneficial due to the Suns’ lack of proven point guards.