When you consider the position the Phoenix Suns were in heading into this offseason, they didn't do a bad job of pivoting out of the Kevin Durant era in the end. Khaman Maluach was a lottery pick center with real upside - even if he's incredibly raw at just 18-years-old - while Dillon Brooks is going to bring a defensive intensity that has been lacking in The Valley in recent seasons.
Then there is Jalen Green, who many see as the key player that the franchise got back for an all-time great. That's a lot of pressure to put on a 23-year-old, and one who had both good and bad moments in his first playoff experience against the Golden State Warriors with the Houston Rockets. The 38 point outburst looked really promising, some of his follow up performances were anything but.
Pressure is on Green to make a leap immediately in Phoenix.
Howard Beck recently jumped on Zach Lowe's podcast on The Ringer, and he promptly named Green as his one of his most intriguing players heading into next season. Lowe isn't ready to give up all his Green stock just yet either for what it is worth - and although he noted some strides made defensively that went under the radar - his passing and shot selection have stalled.
While Beck then went on to point out that the expectations are lower in Phoenix as they re-tool around Devin Booker - and that Green won't be expected to carry the Suns - he also laid out the fact that Green has to figure out how to co-exist alongside the franchise cornerstone, and quickly. That's a different kind of pressure to when he was a Houston Rocket, and in some ways it is worse.
If Green doesn't hit the ground running it is going to make the Durant trade feel even worse - even though it was necessary - while it will call into question his long-term fit next to Booker. With the 28-year-old having signed a contract extension to in theory remain in Phoenix for the rest of the decade, he now needs co-stars such as Green to take leaps forward quickly.
Complicating matters further is the belief in some corners of The Valley that Green is going to be tried as the point guard on this roster. A frankly terrible idea, although one that may be necessary if it means playing Booker at the two in order to get the best out of him once again. Lowe has always been high on Green - particularly for his athleticism - but even he is sounding concerned.
Which is why this season is the biggest of his career so far. If he stutters out of the gate then the questions around just how good he actually is will grow, and it could frustrate Booker too. He's been convinced to stick around and see this re-tooling process through - but if the second best player on the roster can't get even better - it is unclear how long his patience will last. That's pressure.