The Phoenix Suns have a “problem” that every head coach dreams of. They have… too many guards?
And Jalen Green is on the brink of a return after his prolonged absence due to reaggravating his hamstring.
He is expected to return at some point during Phoenix’s upcoming road trip.
Let’s be real. There is no such thing as too much guard depth. The Suns would argue this after a series of injuries to their backcourt throughout the season. At the same time, those injuries opened opportunities that wouldn’t have existed for the Jamaree Bouyeas and Jordan Goodwins of the world. Even Collin Gillespie, to an extent.
Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Grayson Allen were all locks for significant minutes entering the year. Their absences have provided unexpected opportunities that have been taken advantage of and then some.
This “stat me” line below is in honor of Dave King for his famous “stat me” bit throughout his podcasting career.
Stat Me: Devin Booker has now played less than 35 minutes in 7 of the last 11 games. He only played 25 minutes in the win against the Wizards last night.
Guard depth is good. Winning games convincingly helps.
Blessing in Disguise?
Jalen Green went down. Devin Booker missed time. Grayson Allen was banged up for a while. Maybe it was for the best all along? This team’s depth is battle-tested.
Those injuries opened the door for Jordan Ott to build extended trust in Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Jamaree Bouyea. The playoffs are all about being ready for any situation that gets thrown your way. It’s a nice feeling as a coach to have a pair of guys who may receive DNP’s or single-digit minutes at full strength who are ready to step up at any moment should there be foul trouble, an injury, a suspension, etc. Those reps are important.
This is what we can expect the Suns’ rotation to look like upon Jalen Green’s return. We can only hope the rest of the squad stays healthy so we can get a glimpse of what they look like at full strength.
Jamaree Bouyea will be buried as the “sixth” guard on the depth chart, but based on what he’s shown us, he is fully capable of providing impactful minutes. Jordan Goodwin is a dog. He must continue to play, and I believe Ott will play him at the three and possibly even the four in smaller lineups to accommodate him.
Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen off the bench is arguably the best bench backcourt in the entire NBA.
Dillon Brooks was asked about Jalen Green’s return and what it means for the Suns, and brought up a great point about leading the second unit in scoring out of the first rotation of subs. Translation: Phoenix will be better equipped to handle moments where both Booker and Brooks are on the bench for extended stretches.
The Suns are surging and have moved up to 5th overall in NBA.com’s Power Rankings. With Jalen Green’s return, that should only boost them to finish the final chunk of the season strong as they look to secure a playoff spot, and possibly… home-court advantage in the 1st Round if they go on a run.
