3 Suns That Have Risen During Jalen Green’s Absence

The Phoenix Suns may have exceeded expectations this season, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t missed Jalen Green. Their big summer signing failed to survive two games before going down with a hamstring problem that hampered his start at The Valley.

The 23-year-old is unlikely to be back this side of Christmas, which is a blow if the Suns are unexpectedly in contention for a play-off spot early on. The chemistry with Devin Booker – even if it was short-lived – also seemed like a fun wrinkle for head coach Jordan Ott to explore in year one.

Three Suns have resigned without Green.

This has led to an opportunity for others to step up as the team has continued to win games, and the real benefits of this will be felt once Green returns. Coach Ott will have a deeper rotation that will help him win games.

3. Mark Williams

While the overlap between a sharpshooter like Green and starting center Mark Williams isn’t obvious, he has taken on a bigger role for the franchise. His individual scoring and even assist numbers are down slightly from last season, but crucially he has stayed healthy.

He’ll likely appear in a back-to-back before the season is over, while the Suns are a much tougher group defensively to break down when he’s there. But it’s really great to see what he means to the group where Green is currently unavailable.

His teammates and fans alike turn to him and expect him to produce every night, and Williams has delivered. He also quickly made an agreement with Booker that Green should also be able to take action when the time comes.

2. Grayson Allen

Where the Suns would be without Grayson Allen this season is a fair question to ponder, and the second-tallest player has been a huge offensive outlet for the team. He is averaging a career-high 18.5 points per game, third behind only Dillon Brooks and Booker.

He’s also managed a blistering 44.7 percent from deep on a heavy load of 8.8 attempts per night, with that latter number also representing a career-high. The extra step Allen took was his play, and he was the secondary creator next to Booker with Green out.

We saw him increase his productivity during his first campaign in The Valley when Bradley Beal went down, and he has not only repeated the trick but taken it to another level this time. He also plays a role defensively, so much so that coach Ott has used him at every opportunity.

The fact that he himself is currently missing through injury has only emphasized his importance to the group with Green unavailable, and he will be straight back into the starting line-up once healthy again. At a time when many thought he would be traded, Allen was the solution instead.

1. Collin Gillespie

You know a player is going to stand out when fans on social media talk about handing out “lifetime contracts,” but that’s the impact backup point guard Collin Gillespie has made this season. The former G League standout is excelling in a much bigger role.