No Phoenix Suns player heads into the 2025-26 NBA season with more pressure to succeed in The Valley than Jalen Green. The 23-year-old the main player that the franchise got back in the Kevin Durant trade, although how he fits next to Devin Booker is anybody's guess. Both appear open to spending time as the point guard here, but that doesn't mean it will be a success.
Speaking of Booker - and despite signing a monster extension - he has less pressure on his shoulders than Green for two reasons. The first is that the fanbase loves him no matter what, he has built up an incredible amount of credit with them. The second is that expectations have been massively lowered for this group, so just being entertaining to watch will be half the battle for Book.
Kendrick Perkins reminds everybody of Green's playoff flame out.
We have been both excited and optimistic about what Green can bring to Phoenix, and we got a small glimpse into that in the playoffs last season. Green erupting for 38 points in a win for the Houston Rockets over the Golden State Warriors. That kind of talent exists in there, it is now about putting it on show more consistently. Kendrick Perkins however, is not nearly as impressed.
During a recent ESPN segment in which Bobby Marks explained how there is actually some things to like about the direction the Suns are going in right now, Perkins was less than impressed. In speaking about Green and his postseason performance last time out, he said that "averaging about nine points in the reason the Rockets got rid of him". A touch dramatic, although he's sadly not totally wrong here.
Green averaged 13.3 points in that series - and outside of that aforementioned game - was absolutely dreadful. He was easily shut down by a veteran team in the Warriors, and switched between attempting hero ball and just flat out getting rid of the rock over the course of the series. Perkins is right to worry about what that can mean in Phoenix.
The Rockets clearly had no hesitation in giving him up either, although the injury to Fred VanVleet perhaps changes their feelings on that one. As much as it is ok to believe Green can work out with the Suns as well, the fact he was the best possible player they could get back for an all-time great in Durant is also a concern. Especially considering the fit next to Booker.
So while Perkins was giving it the classic talking head carry on with his "about nine points" remark, there is no escaping that Green's playoff performances to date have mostly not been near good enough. Quite what playing next to Booker does to fix that it is unclear, but we're about to spend the next season at least trying to find out.