The Phoenix Suns finally got to see Jalen Green take to the court on Thursday night, in a win over the L.A. Clippers that represented a full circle moment for the organization. The Suns facing off against a player in Bradley Beal who will always be associated with the failures of the franchise when going all in to win a championship.
Beal was dreadful in 20 minutes of action, and he finished with only five points and a barely believable game rating of minus 23. Contrast that with Green, who was electric in The Valley and finished with team highs in scoring (29 points) and game score (plus 30). Every time he got on the ball, the energy shifted in the area and the fans were engaged.
Green and Devin Booker will excel together in Suns' backcourt.
Green's play alongside Devin Booker in the backcourt also immediately dispelled the notion that the two won't be able to co-exist in Phoenix. That the Suns were able to start both Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale alongside them - a small but offensive-minded foursome - is testament to Green's desire to want to be a better defender as much as anything else.
"Welcome to the Valley, Jalen Green...Just stay with the process. Keep stacking, we're in a good place."
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 7, 2025
📽️ Step inside the locker room following last night's win! pic.twitter.com/A6JJbGvP3T
He still has some way to go on that end, but it was clear from watching him that time spent with Ime Udoka and the Houston Rockets has done him good. Green and Booker combined for 10 assists on the night, which was the same as the rest of he team combined outside of Collin Gillespie, who himself finished with seven dimes.
In having Booker finish with 24 points and seven assists, head coach Jordan Ott deployed the tandem in such a way that he was able to get the best out of both of his elite scorers. It always felt like Green was the guy who was going to take even a half decent look, whereas with Booker he picked his spots when it came to getting his own.
This is how he has played all season, and it now made sense why coach Ott has help Booker running the show even in Green's absence. He's more than capable of doing it, and he also feeds off having a high calibre offensive teammate who he knows can finish some of the plays that Booker sets up.
The Gillespie wrinkle is a fun one, because he is also able to play alongside Green for periods of the game and feed him at his spots. On top of that, he can do the same with Booker, for when coach Ott wants to ensure he's being the primary scorer once more. We all worried that Green and Booker couldn't play together in Phoenix this season. We were wasting our time.