5 Phoenix Suns takeaways: Miles Bridges impresses, center battle continues

The Suns led by as many as 19 points in the first half.

Phoenix rested its starters — Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges and Oso Ighodaro — the entire second half. Booker scored a team-high 13 points in 16 minutes while Brooks and Green each had 11.

Here are five quick takeaways as the Suns continue preseason action Wednesday on the road against the Chicago Bulls.

Miles Bridges shines in preseason debut

Miles Bridges showed in just 14 minutes why the Suns traded Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets to get him.

The athletic forward posted eight points, five rebounds and four assists. He hit a 3 and made hustle plays on defense.

His ability to push the ball opens the court. He found Green on a transition lob.

Bridges took advantage of a size mismatch with a quick post-up that led to a layup over Pistons guard Duncan Robinson.

Booker talked during training camp about Brooks being a playmaker. He showed that in matching the number of assists Booker and Green had combined.

Green free throw attempts

Green averaged a career-low 2.7 free throw attempts last season in his first year in Phoenix.

His career high for free throw attempts in a season is 6.1 in 2022-23 with the Houston Rockets.

Monday night versus the Pistons? Green attempted six free throws and made four in 15 minutes.

Green did his share of ball handling, as did Bridges and Booker. Still a work in progress as far as making plays, but with Green, Bridges and Booker handling the ball, Brooks did less of that and was able to get catch-and-shoot 3s.

Brooks went 2 of 4 from deep.

Battle continues between Ighodaro and Maluach

Ighodaro got the start, but this will be an ongoing competition throughout the preseason and leading up to the season opener on Oct. 21 at the Portland Trail Blazers.

Ighodaro scored three points on one shot attempt (1 of 2 from the line) in 14 minutes, but he doesn’t have to be a scorer with four players who have averaged 20-plus points in a season.

He grabbed five rebounds and had two assists, with one on a roll that led to Brooks’ 3 on the opposite side.

Maluach posted six points, missing all three of his free-throw attempts, two rebounds and no assists, but he’s not a passer like Ighodaro.

What Maluach does is roll hard to the rim, grab offensive rebounds and look to protect the rim. He showed those three skills Monday night.

Suns coach Jordan Ott talked about wanting to have a starter and not change that decision until it’s necessary. The Suns will look to mix lineups in preseason, but right now, Ighodaro looks to have the edge based on nothing else but starting the preseason opener.

Second unit

Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Luke Kennard, Ryan Dunn and Maluach made up the second unit Monday night. Gillespie and Kennard are 3-point bombers, Dunn is a defender, and Maluach gives the unit size.

Then there’s Goodwin, who did it all.

He finished the game with seven points, going 1 of 2 from 3, six rebounds with three on the offensive end that led to four points.

This is all at just 6-3, playing among the taller trees on the court.

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff called a timeout after Goodwin’s third offensive rebound. He’d seen enough.

Still not sure that second unit has enough offense, but Goodwin gives it multiple intangibles.

Two more lineups

Goodwin and Maluach were the first two off the bench, joining Booker, Green and Brooks as Bridges and Ighodaro went to the bench.

That gives the Suns an on-ball defender and rim protector to go with three scorers.

Then the Suns opened the second quarter with Bridges and Ighodaro back in the game paired up with Gillespie, Goodwin and Kennard. Ighodaro is a hub with two shooters in Gillespie and Kennard, with Bridges a slasher and Goodwin a guy who can create extra possessions.