Jalen Green on his DEBUT With The Phoenix Suns + Jordan Ott on Devin Booker & Green

Jalen Green on his DEBUT With The Phoenix Suns + Jordan Ott on Devin Booker & Green

Hey coach, just uh looking at Jaylen, what was he able to give you guys in in his debut tonight? Probably everything we expected and more. I think that anytime um you’re out of basketball for that long. You know, we often forget this is it was his first game of the season as well, so he hasn’t played in a long time. Um it’s not easy. It’s not easy. the ups and downs of coming back from an injury, wanting to play with a new group in a new city, and then to be that in rhythm. Um, yeah, that that’s unique. So, um, yeah, everything that we expected and and definitely more. Coach, just to follow that up, that the the spacing with him out there, it just it creates a whole different scene for other guys. I mean, Devin was getting open looks when he hadn’t he hadn’t hardly got any the first few games. just just maybe speak to that on that impact that he had on the game uh helping the other guys get shots as well. Definitely. I mean, I think uh we’d ask the group to move a certain way to do some stuff that um you know is a little unique u move without the basketball, present yourself, play a little faster. Um and I think we felt that at times especially in that third quarter. Um but yeah, it’s going to be a work in progress still. you know, that’s really the first live reps Jaylen’s had with our with our group since early in the preseason. So, um, it just presents a different challenge to the defense. You know, his ability to get downhill, our space around him. I know there’s areas that we can get better at, but for an opening night for him and our group, I think we figured some stuff out in the third quarter offensively, but I thought overall defensively, um, it kept our us in it. you know, at halftime we were really struggling to score and really our defense kept us alive. Um, obviously know that they’re missing bodies, but yeah, overall I thought our defense is really good and then our offense exploded there in the third. What made you go with the starting lineup of having Royce and Grayson with Ryan have been starting? I think it’s a little feel. I think um you know Ryan’s energy uh his aggression uh his combination with Colin um also um just off the bench um Ryan’s a soldier and anything we ask him to do he’s going to go out there and do it 110%. So, uh, not surprising. I really thought his energy in that third quarter was felt and, um, you know, 25 minutes, 25 hard minutes. We’re going to ask him to do that every single night whether he starts or comes off the bench. That offensive possession at the end of the third, uh, Jaylen makes simple pass, Book then gets to attack a close out. Is that sort of the perfect vision for what you want those two to be doing for each other? Yeah, and again, I think it’s so hard because of the lack of playing time they’ve had together. Um, but that just shows how high level each of them are. Skilled, talented, um, really, really good basketball players. Really good basketball players figure it out and they’re doing it on the fly in an NBA game. Not easy. So, yeah, anytime we can crack the paint, put them in the paint, you know, get the ball in the paint, put anyone in a closeout, especially when you’re an elite offensive threat, I think that’s advantageous for us. Hey coach, I know you arrived sort of after Bradley Beal’s time here, but what was your reaction to the, you know, the crowd’s response to, uh, him being out there tonight? Was that something you anticipated or was that a surprise? Yeah, I’m not sure I even hear it. You know, you become so locked in on the game. Um, I did had great interactions with him when I was I came I came in June. Um, obviously seen him from afar. Um, he’s had a great career and just seeing him out there is good. you know, I know he’s he’s worked his way back even, you know, this summer, just working his way back to health and I know he’s on, you know, on his restriction now. So, um, always loved him from afar and, you know, I didn’t really pay attention to what what’s going out there. I think I’m locked into the Phoenix Suns. Jordan, does does it feel like for your offense, uh, there’s a little bit of proof of concept with when the ball is moving to a certain extent and you all get the shots you want in the process you want, keeping your defense set and things like that? There was one much proof in that first half. Um, you know, I think we we we struggled at times. I tried not to just look at the scoreboard. There’s a little feel to it. I I think it was clunky. Obviously, the turnovers has been a thing for us. Um, we’ve gotten some high quality looks when we haven’t turned it over that first half. I’m not sure we even got the high quality looks. So, we’re going to move. We’re going to continue to do the same thing. Try to play a little faster. Um Jaylen does bring that his speed in transition. Gotta find more transition attempts. Gotta find a way to get to the rim. Got to get to the free throw line more. That’s some of the things that we’re going to constantly be stressing um today in shooting out is our transition offense and transition defense. Um that’s two areas where we need to to get better. And we’ll keep trying to put the defense in closeouts. And when you have that much shooting, that much skill, it’s uh you know, it puts the defense in a bind at times. So, we’ll keep trying to chip away and get better at it. Hey, coach. So, obviously Jaylen’s the kind of player that’s going to go after the game and get after it himself, but what kind of a testim is it to this team that they were able to make him feel so comfortable already in that first game? Just make the right play. I think it doesn’t matter who has the ball. It can be any anyone on our roster. You want everyone to be aggressive. This is the NBA. If you’re not aggressive, the defense feels it. So, we want all five guys out there to be a threat. It’s up to us to create a system to where they feel comfortable to be a threat and anytime they have the basketball. Um, I thought Jaylen did a great job not forcing things. Again, incredibly difficult coming back first time with new teammates. The emotion of it all, I didn’t feel like there was one possession where he got out out of character. So, um, we want him to be ultra aggressive just like everyone else. Coach, where do you kind of see that the bigs are going to benefit from Jaylen as soon as he gets downhill and attracts attracts their defender? Yeah, we play so much pick and roll that it it it’s different. You know, it’s like um when Book comes off compared to when Jaylen comes off, it’s different. And um so not only are you calculating how the defense is guarding the pick and roll, but then also who has the basketball and what they want to get to. So, it’s going to take some time. It’s going to take some time. I think um the screening angles and where our guys or which hand they prefer to go um is going to be something that we’re going to continue to look at, but it’s not going to change what we do. You know, we’re going to play pick and roll. We want to drive the basketball to get into that paint, and the bigs are such a big key to them. You know, we’ll continually stress throwing it to them because they definitely need a touch every once in a while. Um, I thought Nick’s minutes in that second half, uh, really helped stabilize us. Um, those guys being ready to go. I’ve talked about our center depth. I think it’s really good. I thought Nick’s minutes were really, really good for us there in that third quarter. Coach Greg, more Arizona Republic. Good win. You guys are getting closer to full strength, right? So, that’s the thing I’m trying to see like what’s it going to look like? Did you feel like tonight looked more like what your vision has been? Are you getting closer to where you want to be? Good question. I think Greg, we’re we’re you hope you get healthy, but we do know the NBA. It’s whoever plays that night. You have to find solutions for them for us to have success both ends of the basketball. So, um tonight we got some offensive firepower into our lineup. We’re going to get more. Um but it doesn’t matter who is out there. We got to get to a point. It doesn’t matter who is out there for us or who is out there for the other team. We got to go win. We got to go find success in whatever way. So, obviously helps with when you’re healthy. Um but yeah, we want to see the whole picture. It we haven’t had there yet. We but we’re looks like we’re getting close. We want five guys out on the floor super aggressive on both ends of the floor. We’re getting closer and I think that tonight was a big step, especially in that third quarter. I really felt like they they all felt it. Um, we’re starting to get game reps, which is helpful. We’ll get some film. We’ll take a look and we play these guys again in two days. Barry, hey. Uh, Jordan, do you have a a name for your motion offense? Just basketball. I don’t think there’s I think every every offense is a little bit different. Um, you take bits and pieces from everywhere. Not only the coaches that you’ve been under, but the players that you have on your team. It’s going to continue to evolve. Um, now we we added someone else to play slightly different. We haven’t added much for Jaylen specifically. We will very soon. All right, we’ll come up with one for you. Go ahead. You I’ll leave that up to you. Okay, coach, there’s a play in the third quarter where Ryan kicked it out to Jaylen. He hit the three and, you know, he’s talking to the crowd and everything. Um, when a guy is that passionate and enthusiastic, just how have you sort of seen that, you know, rub off on the rest of the team? I think the spirit in basketball, we can get too technical at times or too analytical or too databased to where the spirit and the environment um and the joy of basketball is is al often left behind. And you can feel it. You can feel the energy of the building you’re in, whether you’re on the road or at home. Um, but when you have a united group and they’re cheering for each other, plays like that stick. And, uh, that’s what you’re trying to create, not only in games, but you’re trying to create in our practice facility. And we want that environment in our in our group. Um, we want to create a culture, create an environment where these guys find the joy of basketball. Um, it comes up during games, but we also wanted in practice. That was definitely a moment tonight where you could just feel the energy being right. And when you’re in that moment, how long can it last? And that’s that’s always the goal. Can you get it to last a little longer than the other team and find a way to win tonight? Getting to the rim, the three just maybe how were you feeling bodywise and and into the flow and the rhythm of the game that quickly? Uh bodywise, I felt really good. Um overall, I was really just excited to get out there. You know, I was telling the guys and everything that um I couldn’t even sleep. Usually I take a pregame nap and I can’t even get my nap in. I was so excited. But um yeah, it was a lot of fun out there. Uh just got to keep stacking days. I’m curious with you just just the process and getting back to playing. I mean obviously you strain a hamstring early then reagravated. What What has that What has that time been like for you? Someone who played through injury for two years and then to have this keep you out of playing for the first eight games? I mean it was frustrating. Um, obviously any hooper that, you know, wants to be on that floor, it’s pretty frustrating to, you know, just sit down and and watch, but, you know, that’s part of the mental game right there. Just locking in uh with my coaches and, you know, understanding the game, talking to my teammates and, you know, learning a lot from them, what they doing out there. Um, but I mean, overall, it was it’s a big shout out to the training staff, um, the performance group. You know, they they held me down the whole time. They stuck with me. Um, you know, it was tricky situation. And like you said, I I heard it then reheard it again. So, um really just sticking with it and stacking days. So, yeah. Last thing I had was at what point in the game were you like, I’m back. This is this did I’m back now? Oh, man. I think after my first three went in, the little side step. I think that was like, okay, yeah, here we go. Um I mean, just to just to be out there to see see the ball go in, you know, amazing fans here. So, it’s just the energy in the arena from all my teammates and it’s just overall just a great great experience, great vibe. Hey Jaylen, I’m I’m over here. I’m Barry Bloom. Nice to meet you. How you doing? Good. Good. What What was it like out there to play with Book? It was good. Um, you know, we we got a little little vibe in training camp. Um, before the injury, um, off the court, it’s a great vibe on the court. I mean, it’s even better. It’s a lot of space out there. We’re able to build off each other. Um, talking the whole game. Um, you know, he’s he’s a veteran guard. He’s been there before, done it before. So, I’m, you know, I’m learning everything I can from him while out there trying to help him win. So, um, it’s been good. How much different is it to play with him than play against him? Uh, very different. Very different. I mean, you step on the floor is always a competitive thing to go at one another. Um, I’m just happy he’s on on my side now. So, yeah, Jaylen, your catch and shoot numbers speak for themselves from three where you’re really efficient. Were you watching these first couple of games now, the ball was moving and threes were getting up and you were like, “Oh, yeah. this is going to work out perfectly. Yeah, for sure. Um, I feel like our offense just has a lot of space and it it allows us to get up a lot of threes and allows us to play fast. Um, those are two things that I love to do. So, yeah, I was watching the film, we broke it down, you know, sitting with the coaches breaking down film and stuff like that and everything worked out. So, just got to keep building. Can you remember any stage in Houston when you played with that much room before, that much space? Next question. Uh the next question uh being book uh set you up in the corner in the first half. You found him in the corner in the second half. Expecting more of that throughout the year between the two of you. A lot more. A lot more for sure. Of course. Good hustle, my boy. Um Jaylen Ellav, goodbye. Sports 360 a. Yes, sir. Quite simply, how were your teammates able to just make that debut a little bit easier on you, that transition a little bit easier for that first game? Um, by being themselves. I mean, we got a great roster over here. A lot of great guys, a lot of great people that’s good at what they do. So, me coming in, it’s like I just fit right in and, you know, they helping me and each each each quarter they talking to me and we talking to each other and building off each other. And, you know, that’s what a team is. That’s what we do. So, it made it very easy. Steve, what’s going on? Jaylen, uh, with the concepts that Jordan has you all playing out of, especially with you finally having your chance to get out there for game reps, how are you kind of seeing things like open up for you maybe in ways that you have opportunity to like counter it if they do step over and if they don’t, you know, just so much more room to operate with? I mean, our whole thing is to play fast and that’s that’s half of it right there. Um, you know, obviously we got to get stops and that allows us to play even faster, but just just the offense that Os has us in and has us running, it’s a lot of space out there. Um, I don’t want to say the whole thing cuz I feel like, you know, people tuned in to that, but uh, yeah, is a great coach, very offensive minded. Um, so I mean, it’s some nothing less than we going to eat off of it. So, yeah. Um Jaylen McGregor in tonight’s 29 points in 23 minutes. I want to talk about your conditioning though. You seem like you were in good shape on that court. What did you do actually outside of, you know, practice time and getting reps in to actually be prepared for the game tonight? Um I mean I was just doing a lot of this right here. What we did playing the game and getting up and down. Uh a lot of that. I felt like my conditioning going in was a little little poor. I could be on the better side of it. But thanks to the thanks to you saying that. Shout out to that. Um but yeah, I mean everybody just, you know, played a part in helping me get back. Like I said, we have a great staff over here, great uh training staff from top to bottom. Um yeah, Jaylen Kaden Cubler, nice to meet you, man. Um you talked about your journey to come back here in the fourth quarter. You hit that big time three, hyped up the crowd. What does it mean for you to be in Phoenix first and then just to be back here in this position? I’m very excited to be back, especially with the whole situation of being injured and I’m super excited, blessed to be back. Um, being in Phoenix though, it’s a blessing, too. We have great fans. Um, great culture. They love basketball here and it’s amazing. Feel like I fit right in at home. Andy Ro with Kronai News. Good to meet you, Jaylen. Um, you know, you talked a little bit about the energy the crowd had tonight. Both, uh, cheering you on. You know, you hit that three in the third quarter. you’re talking to the crowd getting hyped, but then also on the other side, you know, those those boos for Bradley Beal. What can you tell me about just the energy that was in the building? It’s great energy. Like I said, um like I said, we got great fans. It’s amazing. Even when I wasn’t part of this team, I just I always thought the fans were lit here. Everyone pulling up every game and, you know, cheering the team on and just being so active. Um that’s very very lit and um I love it. Yeah. Appreciate you guys.

Full Press Conference: Jalen Green, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns pulled off a huge win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jalen Green’s Debut. How did they get it done? Listen in to this Full Presser