Suns' offense strained anew by Jalen Green's injury.

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00:00Welcome to this update on the Phoenix Suns challenging season. The Phoenix Suns, who started

00:05the season with a surprising 5-5 record, now face additional challenges in maintaining their

00:11unexpected performance after Jalen Green already injured his hamstring for the second time on

00:16Saturday. According to John Gambadoro from Arizona Sports, Green is anticipated to be

00:21sidelined for four to six weeks ahead of Monday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Head coach

00:27Jordan Ott did not provide any detailed information regarding an official recovery timeline.

00:32Green is currently undergoing several tests to assess the extent of his injury. Green, who was

00:37one of the key players acquired in the trade for Kevin Durant this summer, had an impressive debut

00:42on Thursday before being forced back onto the injured list. This situation is unfortunate for

00:47the Suns, as Green, despite having some shortcomings that made him a trade candidate, was known for his

00:53durability, and ability to stay on the court. He last missed a game 32 months ago in February 2023,

01:01and during his first four seasons with the Houston Rockets, he only missed a total of 21 games.

01:06If the timeline is shortened to five weeks, he will have already missed 23 games this year.

01:12The only positive aspect for Phoenix is that they have already navigated most of the season without

01:17Green, meaning they have made most of the necessary adjustments. The focus for the Suns will be to

01:23continue executing the strategies that have allowed them to maintain a respectable offense,

01:28which was ranked 16th in offensive efficiency as of Monday, all while missing a player who was

01:34anticipated to be their second highest scorer. More importantly, they need to tackle issues that

01:39are likely to become more pronounced. Green's primary strength was expected to significantly

01:43enhance Phoenix's biggest offensive challenge, creating opportunities for shots near the basket.

01:49It's worth recalling that the elite Suns teams from a few years ago also struggled in this area.

01:55However, they managed to compensate. By achieving exceptional efficiency in mid-range shooting

02:00and playing outstanding defense, this current team is different. With Green's absence further limiting

02:06their ability to drive to the basket, the Suns will need to find ways to cope and adapt. The team is

02:12seeking to improve their scoring efficiency without relying on the two most straightforward methods.

02:17As of Monday the 29th, they rank poorly in terms of their shooting percentage near the basket and

02:23are positioned 27th in free throw rate, according to Cleaning the Glass. Their ranking in rim rate

02:30does not fully capture the extent of their struggles. Phoenix's rim rate stands at 23.2%,

02:37which is significantly lower than the league average of 32.2%, falling short by 9%.

02:43In the last five seasons, including the current one, Devin Booker has recorded rim rates of 15%,

02:4922%, 20%, 18%, and 19%. This aspect of his game has never been particularly strong,

02:57and with the increased attention he draws this season, it is unlikely that he will be able to

03:02improve this statistic. The other players on the perimeter are facing similar challenges.

03:07Grayson Allen has a rim rate of 15%, Dylan Brooks is at 14%, and Colin Gillespie is even lower at 6%.

03:15None of these players have demonstrated the ability to improve this area in previous seasons.

03:21Despite Booker's strong start to the year, his role as a playmaker is crucial for Phoenix.

03:26If they hope to enhance their concerning rim rate, the Phoenix Suns can create more scoring opportunities

03:31by utilizing strategies such as making dump off passes to a big man positioned near the key,

03:37or executing kick, outfeeds that initiate movement in response to defensive rotations.

03:43Mark Williams, the center, stands to gain the most from these strategies.

03:47He primarily aims to either dunk the ball or draw fouls, with the occasional floater being his only other

03:52option. His impressive 61% shooting rate at the rim ranks him highly among centers,

03:57and he also has an excellent free throw shooting percentage. As he becomes more central to the

04:02team's offensive strategy, his impact is expected to grow. With the expected absence of Green,

04:07who typically contributes over 20 points per game, the Suns will rely on their perimeter players to

04:13maintain their scoring output. Allen is experiencing a standout season, averaging a career high of 16.3

04:20points per game. He has never averaged double-digit field goal attempts before,

04:25but he is now taking 13.3 shots per game, significantly increased by his average of 8.83

04:31point attempts per game, compared to his previous high of 5.9. When considering the reasons behind

04:38this increase in his shooting numbers, he reflects on the statistical changes. Allen mentioned to Arizona

04:43Sports, that the additional shots he is taking are primarily off the dribble, he explained, that by being

04:49more aggressive while handling the ball, he is able to exploit certain defensive coverages,

04:54that create brief opportunities, for him to take a shot after a screen, he expressed confidence,

05:00that the statistics would support his increased number of pull, up three point attempts, and he

05:05is correct. Currently, he averages three coin zero pull, up threes per game, which significantly

05:11surpasses his previous high of 1.3. This marks the highest amount of time he has spent with the ball in

05:17his hands throughout his career, reminiscent of his earlier days in Utah and Memphis, when he played

05:22more as a combo guard. Similarly, the increase in three-point attempts has led Royce O'Neal to achieve

05:27a personal best of 12.6 points per game, while Colin Gillespie stands out as the most effective at

05:33creating his own shots, among, the trio, averaging 10.4 points per game. Brooks, on the other hand,

05:41has naturally stepped up his scoring in the absence of Green, currently averaging 14.2 points

05:47per game over his career. With Green sidelined, are the other players consciously looking to

05:52increase their scoring? Gillespie expressed to Arizona Sports that the team's approach remains

05:57consistent even when a key player is absent. He emphasized the importance of maintaining an

06:02aggressive mindset, seeking opportunities, and making the right decisions during the game.

06:07Allen mentioned that he plans to adopt a more assertive style but his focus will not solely be

06:12on scoring, he clarified, that his goal is more about creating plays and facilitating for his

06:17teammates, the trio of Allen, averaging 8.83 point attempts per game. O'Neal, 8.3, and Gillespie,

06:266.8, are contributing significantly to the team's success in shooting three-pointers, alongside Booker,

06:326.1. Their efforts have helped the team achieve the fifth, best, three-point shooting rate,

06:38which is crucial for improving their overall performance, especially given their struggles

06:43with rim scoring. Gillespie is accomplishing this in just under 25 minutes of play per game,

06:48he acknowledged, that the support and encouragement from both teammates and coaches are vital,

06:53in boosting their three-point shooting efforts, he stated, being aggressive is definitely important,

06:58as I believe it will ultimately benefit us. Gillespie commented on the existing threat posed

07:04by the team. According to StatHead, they are one of only three teams, that have four players averaging

07:09six or more three-point attempts per game, along with a minimum of 150 minutes played. This statistic

07:15excludes Brooks and Green, who are also expected to be around that six attempts mark. O'd explained

07:20before the game, that this success is due to the ball, handler making the correct decisions.

07:25He emphasized, that the method of achieving this is not important. The focus is on penetrating the

07:31paint, being aggressive, and making the right choices. He noted, you'll keep seeing it. We have

07:37so many threats on the perimeter. This group, will need to maintain their performance, during the times

07:43when Booker is resting. Booker has returned to a level of play, that is worthy of all NBA recognition,

07:49so as long as the off-ball shooters are converting their opportunities, the team will perform well with

07:53him on the court. However, when he is not playing, the Suns are being outscored by an average of 16,1

07:59points per 100 possessions, according to NBA stats. In contrast, when he is on the floor, the Suns

08:05outscore their opponents by 4.2 points. The impact of Williams is significantly highlighted by his

08:11impressive net rating of 14,3 when he is on the court, contrasted with a by 16.0 rating for the Suns,

08:18when he is not playing. This disparity is the largest in the league. It's important to note,

08:24that while Williams is having an outstanding start to the season, he has played 221 of his 230 minutes

08:30alongside Booker, which plays a crucial role in his performance. Each game, it becomes essential to

08:36observe, how the team's performance shifts when both Booker and Williams are resting on the bench.

08:41Ott commented on this situation, saying,

08:44That's a good one, we've recently reviewed that. He emphasized the need for the team to perform

08:49better, stating, Whoever is on the floor, just beat the other team by one point, we need to find

08:55a way to improve, when those key players, are not, on the court. We will explore various combinations,

09:02to identify effective solutions. Ott also pointed out, that Williams is competing well against starting

09:08players, which acknowledges his contributions, while also highlighting the struggles of the bench players

09:13against their counterparts. This may lead to adjustments in the rotations, to enhance overall

09:18performance. What adjustments do you think will be most crucial for the Suns during this period?

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