Suns can make playoffs using Jalen Green in way we haven't seen before

The Phoenix Suns returned to winning ways on Wednesday versus the Dallas Mavericks, although the free-throw disparity is an area they need to work on.

Jalen Green did play for what was only the seventh time this season for Phoenix, coming off the bench and managing 20 minutes of action.

An encouraging sign, given he has averaged 15.3 minutes per game on the campaign as a whole as hamstring issues have disrupted any hope of consistency.

Green needs to continue coming off the bench until season's end

The Suns remain in the thick of the playoff hunt, and have shown enough this season even with injuries to have fans believing they can make it.

The best use of Green, both in order to make the postseason and long-term, is for the 24-year-old to continue to come off the bench.

Already we made the case that changing his high-flying playing style, at least until he can get a run of games without his hamstring bothering him, was the play here.

In truth asking somebody so young to change how they play is a big ask, which is why having him in concentrated bursts off the bench but still playing the Green way would be massive for the Suns.

What that would allow him to do is play 15-20 minutes each night against second units, and it would also allow both Grayson Allen (when healthy) and Collin Gillespie to continue with the starters.

Both have had career years in the absence of Green, and it would seem unfair to curtail their involvement at the first instance of the former Houston Rocket being available.

It's not like Allen hasn't proven he can do this before either, valiantly stepping into the void left by Bradley Beal when he was in The Valley with his own injury issues.

Next season the Suns can revisit this, and head coach Jordan Ott surely can't wait to have the trio of Green, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks out there in tandem.

But this is a chance to have a starter level player come off the bench for a team that is most likely going to make the playoffs, and it looks like a win for all involved.

It would take some of the pressure off a player who, like it or not, was traded for Kevin Durant and so will be expected to produce once he can get healthy.