Grayson Allen Returns to Suns Lineup, Brings Much-Needed Floor Spacing Back to Phoenix
For the Phoenix Suns, seven games without Grayson Allen may not sound like a marathon stretch on paper-but for a team that thrives on spacing and perimeter shooting, his absence was felt in a big way.
Allen made his return to the floor Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets, suiting up for the first time since November 13 after dealing with a quad injury. The stat line-3-for-13 from the field-didn’t exactly jump off the page, but don’t let the shooting numbers fool you. Allen looked comfortable back in the starting lineup, moved fluidly, and, perhaps most importantly, didn’t show any signs of lingering discomfort from the injury that sidelined him.
The injury itself was a fluke-incidental contact on a drive to the basket that spiraled into a frustrating two-to-three-week recovery. And while Allen initially thought he was just “a day or two away” from returning, that timeline kept stretching.
“I kept feeling like it was 1 or 2 days away, and that 1 or 2 days turned into another 1 or 2 days,” Allen said postgame. “But it was also kind of helpful because I was able to do a good amount of basketball stuff for the majority of the time, so I didn’t feel like I had to ramp back up or anything crazy.”
Grayson Allen shared with @amanda_pflugrad how he remained patient with the healing process with his right quad contusion.
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) November 30, 2025
“I kept feeling like it was 1 or 2 days away, and that 1 or 2 days turned into another 1 or 2 days, and that’s just kind of how it went. But it was also… pic.twitter.com/jtHxqYDd5P
That’s big for the Suns, who didn’t just miss Allen’s shooting-they missed the way his presence reshapes their offensive geometry. Allen’s shooting north of 40% from beyond the arc isn’t just a stat; it’s a weapon. It forces defenders to stay honest, opens up driving lanes for stars like Devin Booker, and gives Phoenix the option to stretch the floor with a 5-out look that can punish slower rotations.
Without Allen, the Suns had to get creative. Booker and Dillon Brooks have faced tighter coverage, with defenses collapsing and doubling more frequently. That’s led to a heavier diet of contested, low-efficiency shots-exactly the kind of looks Phoenix wants to avoid in its half-court sets.
Allen changes that math. His gravity as a shooter doesn’t just create space-it creates opportunities.
He’s the kind of player who doesn’t need to touch the ball to impact the game. And when he does get hot-like his 42-point outburst earlier this month-he can tilt the outcome of a game on his own.
Still, the injury stung-not just physically, but mentally. Allen admitted the nature of the play that led to his absence added to the frustration.
“It was really frustrating, especially since this is another freak one,” he said. “Didn’t feel like it was a crazy play.
There really wasn’t anything I could have done preseason or over the summer to feel like I could have prevented that one. It was just a wrong place, wrong time, getting hit at the wrong spot-just an unfortunate play.”
Even so, Allen stayed locked in during his time away, watching as his teammates battled through a tough stretch and picked up some key wins along the way.
“It was definitely fun to watch those guys go out there and battle, but I’m glad I was back tonight,” he added.
With Allen expected to be available for Monday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Suns will be looking to build on the momentum of his return. If Saturday night was about shaking off the rust, Monday could be the night Allen settles back into his rhythm-and if that happens, Phoenix’s offense might be getting its full arsenal back at just the right time.