The Phoenix Suns' Game 1 loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder went... about as badly as many of us would have expected.
Winning one game in this series would be seen as small victory, and changing how they use Jalen Green is going to be crucial if the Suns are to get that done.
Suns must hide Jalen Green defensively every single possession
Looking at the two rosters who were out there in that opening game, and it is no wonder the Suns lost 119-84. No Grayson Allen or Mark Williams hurts their rotation badly.
But there were far too many occasions in which Green found himself guarding Jalen Williams, and from the perspective of the Suns that matchup was a disaster.
Williams is in many ways the worst kind of guy that Green can be guarding for extended periods of a meaningful game.
When healthy he's a top 25 player in the league at the very least, while he is among the most underrated second playmakers as well.
Isaiah Hartenstein was asked by @joe_mussatto about Jalen Williams’ performance in Game 1 against Phoenix:
— Justin Martinez (@Justintohoops) April 20, 2026
“He was great. It’s a combination of he just got his rhythm back. I think he had a good little stint at the end of the year to get back in rhythm. I think he did a great… pic.twitter.com/r7LTK4ZMaV
He's got the size to bully Green all over the court, but most importantly of all he understands where he fits offensively for the Thunder every night.
When he's out there with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren he knows his role is to often give the ball to "SGA" and get out of the way. Or else it is about getting the big man Holmgren going.
His 22 points were second only to Gilgeous-Alexander's 25, and it is that balanced and unselfish offense that neither Green or the Suns can keep up with.
The dilemma for head coach Jordan Ott is in the fact that Green can be the Suns' best offensive player on any given night. He certainly was in his redemption game versus the Golden State Warriors.
Benching him for long periods is not an option, so perhaps Booker on Williams and Dillon Brooks on Gilgeous-Alexander can work for longer periods?
Having Allen back would be great to share some of the load, but Royce O'Neale is also capable of being that guy while Ryan Dunn in some ways is an x-factor if he is able to get anything going offensively to warrant playing him more.
Maybe coach Ott decides that Gilgeous-Alexander is going to get his anyway, while also being a willing facilitator, so why not put Green on him.
The problem with that of course, is the Thunder superstar's infuriating ability to draw fouls. This is all a part of the Jalen Green experience, but the Suns need a solution for his defensive woes ASAP.
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