PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns finally made a change fans have been asking for since the very start of the regular season.

Suns coach Jordan Ott, ahead of their Thursday night win over the Orlando Magic, made the decision to swap Khaman Maluach out of Phoenix's starting five for Oso Ighodaro.

Ott, previously promising to stick with the process and not make any swift changes this early in the season, raised some eyebrows by opting for the more offensive-friendly Ighodaro, who surprisingly was a second option behind the raw Maluach entering the regular season.

"Just think a little bit of a changeup. Overall it's all the same, 48 minutes of great center play. I thought kind of moving Man Man [Maluach] back maybe more in his comfort zone [was helpful]," Ott told reporters last night after the win.

"He was getting to see a lot of [Nikola] Jokic, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], Steph [Curry], and then last night like Deni [Avdija] and Dame [Lillard]. So it's a lot going on with those first units. Just making an adjustment just to change things up, just to try to figure out how we get 48 minutes of great center play.

"So I thought both of them handled it well. Man Man obviously had one of his better games. We'll keep trying to find it."

Ighodaro found himself in foul trouble, finishing with just two points, five rebounds and one assist to pair with one block.

Maluach had a strong game off the bench, delivering eight points on 4-6 shooting with six boards, two assists and two steals.

It was the level play from both sides that Ott was hoping for down low, something the Suns simply haven't gotten to start the season. While typical starter Mark Williams will remain out for the foreseeable future, Ighodaro's ability to contribute offensively is a big part of what makes him a likely candidate to continue starting.

"That's his offensive superpower, his ability to connect pieces," Ott continued on Ighodaro.

"Could always throw it to him as an outlet. Great passer. Always wants to do what's best for the team. And again, he's an elite defender, and that's what we're going to keep trying to drag out of him."

Maluach's potential as an elite rim protector hasn't quite been realized, as the former No. 10 pick still is very much raw in terms of his spacing and understanding compared to top NBA players.

Which is fine, but even Devin Booker made comments on how different things are with Ighodaro after the win.

"Yeah, I mean it helps a lot. It keeps the flow of the offense definitely going. The ability to switch on the defensive end. Obviously, we're giving up some size, so we all got to do a little bit more and help them rebound," said Booker.

"But yeah, overall, it's a different pace. I'm not saying one's better than another, but it's definitely different. You can feel it when you're out there."

The Suns play host to the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.