The Phoenix Suns had an enjoyable preseason, going 3-1 against both the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. It also included a trip to China, a trip that seemed to be a success for everyone except new addition Jalen Green. The 23-year-old aggravated a hamstring problem during the trip, making him officially unavailable for the team on opening night.
In fact, Green could miss the first few weeks of the campaign, a shame considering he had not missed a single regular season game in the two seasons prior to this match. Fans are excited to see how much he can bring offensively, although questions remain about his fit alongside Devin Booker.
A green injury allows Booker to discover his role in The Valley.
So while you wouldn’t wish an injury on anyone — let alone the best player the Suns got back in the Kevin Durant trade — there could still be a silver lining for Green sitting out the first few weeks. This is the ideal time for Booker to get comfortable as a playmaker in Phoenix – which he quickly became accustomed to during the preseason – without having to worry about Green getting involved as well.
A different kind of dribbling for Khaman Maluach & Jalen Green in Macao ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/xL6Hnxk37p
— NBA (@NBA) October 9, 2025
Booker has always been a great teammate, in that he has no problem taking a back seat to Durant when necessary, even leaving the final shot to someone else if his head coach wants him to. So it stands to reason that he might defer to Green too much at first to quickly put the former Houston Rocket at ease.
As this plays out, Booker also has to figure out how to best prepare his teammates every night. The Suns suddenly have more point guard depth than anyone ever thought possible given their offseason signings, but we all know this is Booker’s team and no one has come close to replicating what he can do on the court.
So the best way to start this season is to let Booker run the show, while then getting back to being the elite scorer without the ball, we know he can line up alongside Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie or Jared Butler. These types of lineups won’t happen as often once Green is healthy, so trying them out while he sits seems like a smart way to approach his injury.
Ultimately, head coach Jordan Ott will have a job to get the best out of both Booker and Green at the same time, but it certainly feels like the right way to go about it. This is how you turn something negative into something positive in Phoenix.
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