Tasked with a new playmaking role, the former second-overall pick refined his pacing and court vision under two-time MVP Steve Nash to spark a potential All-Star leap.
The Phoenix Suns are putting in a great amount of resources into the development of sixth-year guard Jalen Green.
There's a clear amount of faith that the Suns are displaying in the hopes that the former number two overall draft pick making a full-on leap into stardom in the season ahead.
Green spoke on areas of his game that he worked on over the course of the offseason in a Media Day appearance with Suns broadcast media Tom Leander and Rex Chapman.
The 24-year-old guard began by stating that he spent a large deal of the offseason working on playmaking, reads, and balancing his personal pacing on the court. Green also revealed that he spent much of this time working on these skills with Suns legend Steve Nash, who is now aligned with the Suns in an advisory role.
This is an incredible development in the world of the Suns. The capacity Green holds as a scorer has never been a question, but consistency in that department, as well as a lack of development in other areas, has kept a star-level leap from taking shape.
Now, it seems as if the California native will be intrinsically trusted with serving as Phoenix's de-facto point guard. There are signs that Green can be a quality playmaker, such as utilizing his athleticism to pressure the rim, and comfortability in playing alongside Devin Booker in a relatively small sample last season.
Working with Nash is simply an added bonus. The two-time MVP is among the greatest players in league history when it comes to processing information, finding a happy medium from a pacing perspective, and in creating advantages for teammates.
Green's trajectory as a playmaker is a key aspect of his possible ascension as a star in 2026-27. General manager Brian Gregory and head coach Jordan Ott are clearly putting a great deal of trust that this potential is realized.
Time will tell what comes of the trust, but Green is comfortable alongside both Booker and multi-year teammate Dillon Brooks. He has an opportunity to further grow alongside sharpshooters such as Collin Gillespie and newcomer Luke Kennard. Perhaps the most vital variable this season is his budding chemistry with center Khaman Maluach.
The duo has a great deal of promise to develop into a dynamic playmaker/scorer arrangement, but there has to be tangible growth to back this theory up during the regular season.
