The Phoenix Suns’ return for Kevin Durant has generally been viewed by fans and media as paltry for a player of his caliber. Arguably the center piece of the trade return was young Jalen Green, the former #2 overall pick in 2021. Green has been highly criticized after his playoff struggles last season, but he is now primed for the best season of his career.
The Suns are a better fit for Jalen Green
Green was highly inconsistent in the Houston Rockets’ 7-game playoff series last season against the Warriors. But he wasn’t the only one on his team who struggled. The entire Houston offense was bogged down, finishing with a 111 offensive rating that would have ranked in the bottom third of the league during the regular season.
The playoffs were a different beast altogether, and the refs allowed a LOT of contact in that series. Both teams’ defenses were helped by the officiating, while the offenses struggled. Green did have a sole bright spot in game 2, when he scored 38 points. But he finished the series averaging just 13 points per game on disappointing percentages.
In Houston, Green did not have an ideal offensive situation. He typically played with at least one non-shooter, be it Amen Thompson or Tari Eason. That’s not even mentioning post big Alperen Sengun, who is a talented player but lacks the shooting or verticality to make him an elite off-ball big.
Green is at his best when he’s driving to the rim. Last season, he had 121 drives from the 3-point line all the way to the rim - second in the entire league only to the MVP. This was in spite of shooting-limited players like the ones mentioned above clogging the paint.
On the Suns next season, Green will have a much better offensive environment. Devin Booker draws the attention of defenses in a way that none of his previous teammates ever have. And elsewhere he will also be surrounded by capable shooters (Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale) and lob finishers (Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach) who all provide spacing in some way.
With a more offensive-inclined team, Green may be able to focus on driving to the rim and using his incredible athleticism to create opportunities there. Hopefully he will refrain from settling for jumpers often, as those are certainly not his strong suit.
Green may end up being a better complement to Devin Booker than Bradley Beal ever was, because he doesn’t need to operate in the same area of the court. Their skill sets actually play off of each other rather than being duplicative.
The Suns next season are unlikely to be better than the Rockets were last season. But for Jalen Green, they might be a better fit to showcase his talent. And he might just have a career-best year that makes his doubters reconsider.