Phoenix Suns fans spent the bulk of the 2025-26 season wondering what the team possessed in trade acquisition Jalen Green.
The former No. 2 overall draft pick was sidelined for much of the season, missing all of December and most of January with a recurring hamstring injury. Green spent the month of March getting his legs underneath him for an eventual postseason run, which got off to a brilliant start during the play-in tournament.
In the play-in loss against the Portland Trail Blazers, Green scored a team-high 35 points on 14-of-29 shooting (48.3%).
In the do-or-die play-in game against the Golden State Warriors, Green put together his best performance in a Suns uniform. He scored a game-high 36 points on a ridiculously efficient 14-of-20 shooting (70%), including 8-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc.
His eight made 3-pointers was a career high, and he added six rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals to the box score while finishing with a sterling +22 plus/minus in 40 minutes of action.
While it’s unrealistic to expect 70% shooting from Green on a nightly basis, the Suns need Green to be more efficient if they’re going to have any chance of avoiding a sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 1.
Jalen Green’s efficiency has been make-or-break for the Suns
Ahead of the play-in games, NBA analyst Zach Lowe questioned whether Green would be the “right fit” alongside face of the franchise Devin Booker.
“I’d like to see Jalen Green again in the playoffs,” Lowe said. “He hasn’t played much this year … he’s basically just being Jalen Green, which is taking a lot of shots and not making enough of them.”
That take has certainly proved true through the first two games of the first round series against OKC.
Green scored 17 points in the Game 1 loss on 6-of-16 shooting (37.5%), 2-of-7 from beyond the arc (28.6%). It appeared as though Phoenix might get play-in Green during the early stages of Game 2.
He started out shooting 5-of-10 from the floor for 14 points, but finished his night making just three of his next 13 shots for 21 points on 8-of-23 shooting (34.8%). He sank just one of his eight 3-point attempts on the night.
Adding salt to the wounds for Suns fans, Green’s 23 field goal attempts dwarfed Booker’s, who finished the night 7-of-14 shooting for 22 points.
That was also the case during the regular season. In Suns wins, Green shot 45% from the field and 33.6% from 3-point territory. In losses, those marks were 39% and and 28.3%, respectively. Simply put, when Green is not shooting an efficient percentage from the floor, the Suns are more than likely going to lose.
Lowe said of Green, “I could see him shooting (the Suns) out of a play-in game or a playoff game.”
Green effectively saved the Suns’ season with his play-in masterpiece against the Warriors. And while his inefficient shooting from the field against OKC is far from the only reason the Suns are losing those games, it certainly doesn’t help.
The series as it stands is trending toward a Thunder sweep. Regardless of what happens, the Suns front office will likely have to do some soul-searching this summer to decide if Green actually is the right fit alongside not only Booker but fellow trade acquisition Dillon Brooks.
Lowe noted that Green’s “contract is super tradeable,” so it’s entirely possible the Suns could shake things up in a big way again this offseason if they don’t feel the dueling banjos of Green and Booker can work long-term.
Time will tell.