The Phoenix Suns need Jalen Green to be Devin Booker’s co-star, but the 23-year-old’s warts will be more pronounced on a rebuilding team. Green wants to have the ball in his hands, but fans saw those results in 2023. He averaged 22.1 points per game with the lowest field goal percentage of his career and a problematic assist-to-turnover ratio. Green gets too focused on calling his number, and nothing is stopping him from doing it more in the Valley.
New head coach Jordan Ott will have to make Booker or Green his primary ball-handler. It isn't the ideal role for either, but Booker has shown better flashes in that role. Green's already problematic efficiency will plummet further if he is asked to do more. The nightmare results would make the KD trade look even worse.
The Suns want to keep Green happy and help him realize his All-Star potential. The 23-year-old averages over 20 points per game for his career and hasn't missed a contest since Feb. 2023. He must clean up his game, but the Suns have shown no ability to help make that a reality.
Suns can’t let Jalen Green take over their offense
Devin Booker is a four-time All-Star and the face of the franchise. He should be their number one scoring option and lead playmaker. Book has first-team All-NBA potential, but the Suns need to put the right pieces around him to maximize his skill set.
Green is not that player. He is a subpar shooter, questionable playmaker, and problematic defender at this stage. Green’s production cratered in the playoffs as his efficiency plummeted. Fans hoping to see him break out are in for a surprise.
His counting stats look impressive, but the Rockets were 7.1 points per 100 possessions better with Green on the bench last season. He was strictly a bucket-getter on a team that desperately needed one. Even then, he couldn’t cut it as their top option in the playoffs.
Suns fans are dreaming of Jalen Green breaking out and leading his new franchise to the playoffs, but that isn’t reality. He will average over 20 points per game, but it comes with inefficiency and several head-scratching moments. Suns fans will regularly be questioning this trade if this problem worsens.
The Rockets couldn’t solve Green’s ball-stopping and shot-taking on a contending roster. It is why his minutes went down as their first-round playoff series against the Warriors stretched on. Why would things suddenly change on a rebuilding team going nowhere? If anything, this problem will be significantly worse for the Suns than it was in Houston.
The Phoenix Suns are in for a difficult season. They lack depth and are relying heavily on young talent. Phoenix would need Jalen Green to become an All-Star to have a shot at reaching the postseason.
That won’t happen, and his issues on both ends of the floor will have Suns fans wanting him off their roster. That is the Green experience. Remember, the franchise signed themselves up for this. The ride certainly won’t be pretty, but buckle up and try to enjoy.