Phoenix Suns player analysis: Oso Ighodaro returns to home state of Arizona
Oso Ighodaro is one of two rookies who the Suns acquired via draft trades.
Oso Ighodaro is returning to the Valley. The 6-foot-11, 235-pound forward is excited to return near his hometown of Chandler, Arizona.
“It’s been crazy,” Ighodaro said. “Just coming back home, being comfortable with people out here has been a blessing, for sure.”
Ighodaro was selected with the No. 40 overall pick in the second round. He is someone the Suns have targeted, as seen in their social media video of their draft night “war room” with general manager James Jones and majority owner Mat Ishbia, among others.
“I think he’ll do well right from the jump,” Jones said of Ighodaro.
Ighodaro has a 35-inch standing vertical and is agile. He has a standing reach of 8-foot-8 1/2 and should be someone the Suns can use at backup center.
If Ighodaro meets expectations, however, with his playmaking and improved rebounding technique, he could find his way into the starting lineup.
His player capsule:
Name: Oso Ighodaro
Height: 6-foot-11
Weight: 235 pounds
Ighodaro was rated the No. 81 overall prospect in the 2020 class, according to 247Sports. He played all four collegiate years at Marquette, where he was mentored by a press defense specialist, coach Shaka Smart.
Smart’s schemes rely on bigs to play above the basket, which is some of the reason why his rebound numbers (5.3 averaged in four years) leave some left to be desired.
Ighodaro is an excellent passer and is similar to Suns center Jusuf Nurkic as a player because of his ability to connect offensive sets. Expect him to work well within DHO (dribble hand-off) or other playmaking roles.
“At Marquette, we ran a lot of NBA offense, free-flowing, [five players on the perimeter, above the 3-point line],” Ighodaro said. “I feel like it really prepared me to play in a system like this and a team like this. I think my playmaking and my ball skills will be really good for this team as a connector. All the scoring that is on this team, I think that someone like me that can kind of fill those gaps in between can be really effective.”
Nurkic is someone who will fill a defensive big role in which he must defend the basket and rebound. To Nurkic’s credit, he ranked No. 1 in an advanced analytics stat for post defense in 2023-24, as calculated by BballIndex.com.
However, Ighodaro is the better athlete and could see time on the floor. The Suns need someone who can defend the rim and elevate for lobs on offense.
Film analysis
Ighodaro’s athleticism leaps off the screen. I watched him soar from the baseline in the Suns’ summer league game versus Brandin Podziemski and the Warriors, and that was very impressive.
Ighodaro is someone who intrigues the Suns. I am curious to see how he fits in with Kevin Durant. He is someone who can finish with athleticism and that is something the Suns missed this past season.
Ighodaro’s shot-blocking must improve. He averaged 1.3 per game in his senior year at Marquette. Don’t expect him to increase the total right away, but know he can make an impact on that end and should improve with work next to coach Mike Budenholzer.
Ighodaro forecast
Oso Ighodaro appears to be the No. 3 center behind Nurkic and backup Mason Plumlee.
Ighodaro could pass Plumlee though he needs to rebound. Nurkic is one of the best defensive rebounders in the league and will be relied on for Phoenix. However, he has been prone to injury in past seasons, which means Ighodaro may have an opportunity.
New “Twins”
Suns rookies Ighodaro and Dunn have proclaimed themselves to be the new “Twins,” or the nickname given to close friends and former Phoenix forwards Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.
The two players built camaraderie in the summer league. They also were observed at multiple Phoenix Mercury games.
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