Jalen Green has looked comfortable wearing more than one hat for the Suns this preseason, and that flexibility is giving Phoenix a different kind of backcourt shape.
The 24-year-old has leaned into the role the Suns need most from him: primary playmaker when the offense calls for it, scoring threat when the moment shifts. Green said he was already on board with that during media day, and he also noted that he spent part of the offseason working with Steve Nash. Early signs point to a guard who is embracing the challenge rather than resisting it.
Green addressed that role recently and made it clear he’s happy to handle the ball more next to Devin Booker.
"I feel comfortable bringing the ball up, getting guys in the sets. I'm very comfortable with having the ball in my hands in general.
As far as making the right read, that is where my head is at right now. Get into the paint, draw two, make the right read."
That mindset fits what the Suns have shown in preseason, including a win over the San Antonio Spurs with Booker resting. Green has been the one helping organize possessions, and that matters because the Booker-Green pairing only works if Green takes pressure off Booker as an initiator. So far, he has been willing to do exactly that.
The tradeoff, at least early, has shown up elsewhere. Booker has struggled from deep, hitting just 1-of-12 on 3-pointers through two games, and that’s not something Green can solve by himself. What Green can do is keep the offense moving, keep defenders occupied, and make life easier for the rest of the group.
That part of the roster looks better suited to his style than it might have a year ago. Miles Bridges at the four gives Green another offensive outlet, and Dillon Brooks, who the source describes as the Suns’ current best player, gives him another dependable option to work through. The Suns also have pieces around him that help cover him defensively.
Green has never lacked confidence getting downhill. The next step is turning those drives into cleaner decisions once the defense collapses.
That has been the unfinished part of his game, and it remains that way now. But if he can consistently hit the right pass after breaking into the lane, the Suns can get more out of both him and Booker.
None of that means Phoenix wants Green to become a pure distributor. The team still sees him as a scorer, and there’s a reason Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin were brought back: both give Green true point guards he can play alongside when the Suns want him hunting his own shot. Green remains a 20-point-per-night scorer, and the point is not to squeeze that out of him.
The real value comes from balance. Green can run the offense when Phoenix needs structure, then slide back into a scoring role in the right lineups. That blend is what makes him such an important fit next to Booker, and why the Suns are encouraged by what they’ve seen so far.
In Other News...
Luke Kennard Is Giving The Suns More Than They Expected On The Wing
Grayson Allen set a pretty specific benchmark for the Suns wing spot during his three seasons in Phoenix, giving them steady spacing, a reliable scoring punch and the kind of perimeter production that fit cleanly into the rotation. Luke Kennard has stepped into that conversation quickly in preseason, and the early returns have suggested he can offer more than just another shooting threat. In three games, he has averaged 12.3 points while also showing he can help organize the offense some, handing out 10 assists against 3 turnovers.
Kennards appeal to the Suns goes beyond whether he can chase Allens old role one for one. The shooting profile is different, the volume is different and the style is different, but Phoenix has already seen enough to know he can add layers to the wing group instead of simply blending into it. For a team looking for dependable spacing and a little extra creation, that makes the rest of his preseason worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Khaman Maluach Is Giving The Suns A Real Frontcourt Decision
Khaman Maluachs preseason has given the Suns something they did not necessarily expect this soon: a real conversation in the middle of the frontcourt. With Mark Williams sidelined for several months, the rookie center has stepped into a far bigger role than planned, and his recent work has done more than just keep the spot warm. A 10-point, 15-rebound outing against the Spurs only added to the sense that Phoenix has found a young big man who can handle real minutes right away.
Jordan Ott and Dillon Brooks have both praised Maluachs performance and progress, and that matters in a camp where opportunity is open but trust still has to be earned. The question now is not whether the Suns like what they have seen, but how far they are willing to go with it when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Kennard Is Giving The Suns A Reason To Believe In This Fit
Luke Kennard has given the Suns something to feel good about in the preseason, and that matters for a team trying to sort out its rotation before the games count. With Devin Booker out of the lineup, Kennard has stepped into a starting role and shown why Phoenix wanted him in the mix, bringing the kind of shooting and secondary creation that can fit next to the Suns core.
The larger expectation, though, is that Kennards value will come when he shifts back to the bench and settles into a reserve role. Phoenix is counting on him to stretch the floor and handle a little playmaking in those second-unit minutes, and his early comfort level has made that plan look more promising than it might have seemed on paper. The real test comes once the rotation tightens and the regular season begins. [Read more 🡒]