Jalen Green won’t be active when the Suns host San Antonio on Sunday night, but he appears to be getting closer to making his season debut, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix was counting on Green to help carry the scoring load after acquiring him from the Rockets as part of the Kevin Durant trade, but he has been out of action with a strained right hamstring. He took an important step toward returning on Saturday by participating in five-on-five drills.
“It was full-court before practice,” coach Jordan Ott said. “So that part is good. We’ll have to take a look tonight after this and into (Sunday).”
Green was extremely durable during his time in Houston, playing in all 82 games the past two seasons, but he’s been dealing with the hamstring issue since early in training camp. He reaggravated it in early October when the Suns traveled to China for two games against Brooklyn.
There’s more from Phoenix:
- Dillon Brooks will miss his fourth straight game on Sunday, Rankin states in the same piece, and his diagnosis has been changed from right groin soreness to a core muscle strain. “The soft tissue piece to it,” Ott told reporters before Friday’s game. “His pain tolerance being super high and trying to put a timeline on when Dillon Brooks can physically get out there. We know he’s going to step out there. That’s the thing we’re learning (about) Dillon in this process as he returns back.” Brooks was averaging a career-high 19.3 PPG before getting hurt.
- Two-way player Isaiah Livers sat out the second half Friday with a right hip contusion and is considered doubtful for Sunday, Rankin adds. Livers missed all of last season with an injured right hip, but Ott said there’s no cause for concern. “Just got hit on his hip,” he explained. “Sounds like he’ll be day-to-day. It’s nothing from his surgery. Just an unlucky spot.”
- Ott plans to build up Mark Williams‘ minutes as the season progresses, Rankin tweets. Williams, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, is averaging just 24.4 minutes per night through five games. “We’re going to be smart. We know it’s an 82-game season,” Ott said. “It’s going to continually be a talking point with our group based on how he played that night and physically how he feels the next day. Ideally, it continues to go up to where it’s lifted. We’re going to be pretty strategic in how we use him because we want him healthy, want him to play game after game after game.”
Phoenix needs to sign Killion Hayes to reunite Livers and Hayes
I wouldn’t count on Jalen Green that much. He’ll put up some insane numbers a few games a year but he’ll frustrate you a lot of time. Those drives where he has no idea what to do with the ball and turns it over happened way too frequently. He’s young so plenty of time for him to improve.
I think seeing Devin Booker up close will be very good for Green.
I think the reason he had so many of those drives where he didn’t know what to do was because he only knew how to use his speed to blow by defenders, and when that didn’t work, he could only force up a prayer or throw a difficult pass.
He needs to learn to slow down at times and use counter moves.
Booker will be great to learn that from. He gets by more from skills than super athletic ability.
Mark Williams is such an excellent player. Wonderful hands, clever decision maker, you can involve him in many types of actions and he will usually make a nice play, a proper rebounder on both ends of the court, nice footwork around the basket, very mobile at his size, can make free throws.
If only he could stay on the court.