A lot of things have not gone to plan this season for Jalen Green and the Phoenix Suns this season. Despite Green playing just 30 minutes this season due to an injured right hamstring, the Suns have a 19-13 record with multiple wins against the Spurs, Timberwolves, and Lakers.
The surprise Suns established an identity of grit, effort, and toughness that permeates through everyone on the team. With an extremely small but promising sample size from Green this season, his return is exciting for this Suns team that is right
in the thick of playoff competition. As excited as I am to see Green play again, I have been asking myself this question: Would the Suns be in a better position if Green had been healthy all season?
Perhaps, but the way this season has played out for Green and the Suns, his injury could be a blessing in disguise.
Now I may be taking crazy pills, but hear me out, please. Just a few months ago, the Suns were rudderless, with no culture, no identity, and the biggest question heading into the season was how Booker and Green would acclimate on the court.
Now the Suns have culture and identity, all while Green has had a front-row view of how the Suns win games. He has had almost half a season of games to see where exactly the holes are, see where exactly he can best fit, and see the standard that has been set for how hard he has to play. All things that Green can do immediately when he returns to the floor.
Green has all the tools and talent to not just perfectly fit in Phoenix, but elevate this team to an even higher level of play. He has already built chemistry with teammates from the bench this season as a hype man; now he has to bring that hype with his play.
Green has missed more games this season than he has in his first four years in the NBA combined. This is the first time in his career that he has had the chance to sit and watch, and he has been able to watch and learn from Devin Booker, one of the best guards in the NBA. If Green has taken this chance to learn and grow, we could see a new and improved version of the guy who led the Houston Rockets in scoring last year.
There will be growing pains as Green integrates himself into the lineup, his shot selection and efficiency being the most identifiable weaknesses in his game. Defensively, will he be locked in on a night-to-night basis? Or will his return cause this disruptive Phoenix defense to take a step backwards? Can Green become a better playmaker by simply watching on the sidelines, or will there still be bumps in the road?
One thing is for certain: head coach Jordan Ott will encourage Green to be just as aggressive and confident in his game as he has with everyone else. Now Green, who should now know exactly how to play with the Suns team, has to go out and do it.
Green can take his game and his new team to new heights in his return, and I will be impatiently waiting.
