Jalen Green Is Set To Make His Debut For The Suns THURSDAY, Why He Will TRANSFORM The Offense?

Jalen Green Is Set To Make His Debut For The Suns THURSDAY, Why He Will TRANSFORM The Offense?

On today’s show, Jaylen Green is probably back tomorrow against the Los Angeles Clippers. How will he help out the offense positively? And is there some negatives? If there is, we’ll get into it on this edition of Locked On Phoenix Suns. You are Locked On Suns, your daily Phoenix Suns podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. your team every day. What is up? Welcome back into Locked on Phoenix Suns. My name is Benjamin Garcia, host of the Ben Garcia Show, Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7 a.m. on YouTube, as well as a credential Phoenix Suns media member covering your team here 365 days as we do at the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. That just being the Phoenix Suns. uh wherever you may be listening, however you may be listening, thank you so much for making myself and John who I’ll introduce in a second and locked on Phoenix Suns a part of your day where reminder locked on Suns free and available on all platforms including YouTube. So click that follow or subscribe button to do what thousands of Suns fans have already done. Become an everyday become an everyday and get locked on the Phoenix Suns right here each and every day. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just $5 and if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Head to fanduel.com to get started. Joining me today, fresh off of an Oso Igodaro piece that we’ll get into deeper into the show, a 1600word long article over at Bright Side of the Sun. He’s the managing editor. He can write whatever he wants. My guy John Voida at Darth Vida on social media. What’s up, man? How are you? Yeah, I probably spent a little too much time, Ben, talking about the Oso Igodoro situation as it pertains to the rookies. So, I know that we’ll be talking about that later, but I’m good. I’m good. You know, I’m one of those people who’s struggling right now because I’m a YouTube TV stream guy and I haven’t had ESPN for a week. And so, I’m actually trying out Fubu. Fubo TV. Fubu. Fu. No, not Fubu, but Fubo TV. And they actually have a locked on channel. A lock. Yeah. And I was like, “Oh, this is fantastic.” So, Oh, we’re everywhere. Yeah. So, with you, you might see yourself on that screen one of these days. It might make help make my decision on switching away from the you know the the evil empire YouTube TV. Darth Vida is heading over to to uh to Fubo TV to to for all streaming services. And the nice thing about it is it includes Suns games with it because in the past I’ve had to do Suns live because I tried putting up an antenna in my house and I literally electrocuted myself. No, I’m not handy. I have a I have I’m not handy either. My wife puts together all the furniture. I can’t tell an obo from an elbow. It’s really bad. But I did put my antenna up. Now, it did take me a little bit and I wasn’t sure if it was going to work, but I did put my antenna up and that’s how I watch the Suns games. I’m an antenna guy. I went through the whole process of doing it and it was summer like last summer and I just put it too low on the house so it doesn’t pick up the, you know, I was like, you know what, I’ll pay 15 bucks a month for Sun’s Live. But I don’t need him to do that anymore cuz I got Fubo TV where you can watch Sun’s games and locked on podcasts. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, there you go. Well, hey, um, Jaylen Green, the star of the show, he is likely back for the Phoenix Suns tomorrow. It would be pretty surprising now if he didn’t play tomorrow. Once you go probable on the injury report list, it’s like something bad. It’s not even a game day decision. It’s a he’s probably going to play. Something bad’s got to happen between now and then, which we’re, you know, not trying to have happen. But Jaylen Green’s back tomorrow. And before I toss it over to you, I talked about this last night after the Suns lost to the Golden State Warriors, which I thought was a pretty encouraging loss. That team continues to fight back. You lost to some role players, whatever. But there was a key last night, and I talked about this last night, was the Suns cut the lead down to nine, and then they and they cut it down to seven early in that fourth quarter, and Devin Booker wasn’t on the court when they cut it down to seven. And it was like at the 11 minute mark. He was taking that patented, you know, five to six, seven minute rest that he normally does in the fourth quarter. And I thought to myself, well, damn, they just cut the lead down to nine with Book. Now it’s seven. As soon as he comes off the court, that lead shot back up to 15 points. And this is where I said to to the Lockdown Every Dayers yesterday, which was this is where I think a lot of them were right and I was wrong. I might have been a little hard on Jaylen Green. We are five, six games into the season and I’m already clamoring for okay, the Suns need this guy in this lineup because they need to be able they need someone to stagger those minutes without Devin Booker on the court because although the efficiency is very concerning for Jaylen Green, the playmaking shot making between Devin Booker and Jaylen Green already feels like the Grand Canyon, but when you go from Devin Booker to Jaylen Green, then who’s your third guy? Was it Dylan Brooks? And then if it’s Brooks, how far is it deep after that? And so the Grand Canyon between Booker, maybe two Grand Canyons, and the fourth guy, probably the third guy, like this team really needs Jaylen Green, and I just can’t believe I’m already there. What say you? What do you expect? What are you expecting tomorrow? Well, first I think it’s funny because it’s Jaylen Green is back. Uh he he was never here to go away and then come back. He’s debuting finally. And I agree because the thing is yes, he might not be hyper efficient, but he’s still 20 plus points off the bench that didn’t exist prior, right? He’s a he’s that’s whole the whole part of the mathematics and the chemistry of this team that we’ve yet to even explore is who and what he can add to this team. And that’s a big challenge because if you think about it, the Suns have really struggled on the road, right? The four games on the road, they get big, they go down big early. And part of that is because Devin Booker can only do so much. He is proving that he is a Batman this year. And I was wondering that could Devin Booker after what we experienced the past two seasons where he can he showcas to the entire league that he can be the best Robin and then he goes to the Olympics and he proves that he could be the best Robin for that team. I’ll do whatever you need. I just don’t need to be the primary guy. He’s been Batman this year and he’s had no Robin. Everything else has been a joker. I mean, to your point, if it’s Jaylen Green and then Dylan Brooks, well, we’ve been without him for four or five games. So, this team has been unbelievably incomplete to this standpoint. What they’ve showcased us in the the absence of both Brooks and primarily Green is the fact that this team does have fight, does have grit, does have the ability to fight back in games and doesn’t give up. You add in the fact that to your point, they’re going to stagger minutes. Coach A is already showcasing to us that he’s a tactician who understands in-game adjustments and and can execute them as needed. Now he has another tool in his tool belt that he can put out there and deploy to uh to negate those sustained runs by the opposition because that’s what really hurt the Suns last night is they continually fought back and then if Booker’s taken four minutes out the front end of the quarter, you’re going from 9 to 19 in the blink of an eye. And if had Jaylen Green had been out there, that again, this is the disease of what if, what if he was out there? We will never truly know. We can only sit and speculate. But the speculation that we have is is founded on the fact that this is a player who consistently throughout his career has showcased, albeit inefficiently, is still somebody who is an elite scorer and can uh put pressure on the opposition. And we’ve been missing that. So, I’m excited to see what it looks like finally to have Jaylen Green out there on the court. My question to you, Ben. Yeah. Do you start him or do you bring him off the bench? Do you do what Jordan did with Mark Williams in his first couple games where, hey, the guy didn’t play the whole preseason, we’re trying to get him back into game shape. I’m going to put a limits restriction on him 20 to 25 minutes and we’re going to have him come off the bench to start the game because I’m going to need him in the most valuable minutes of the game, which is the end of the game. Do you start him or do you No. No. No. You got to ease him into it. You got to ease him into it. especially if he already had that one setback. I know we had, you know, some real insiders on social media telling us that he had a setback. Again, that was obviously proven to be not true by the big wigs in this sports media industry uh here in Phoenix. But he had that first setback and that is a little concerning. Meaning, you know, as soon as he stepped on the floor, kind of tweaked it. If he does that again, I mean, what are you looking at now? two months and and we’ve already issues and we’ve already had six games without him or eight games eight games without him and to be fair the Suns have I think three and five through eight games is a fine place to be for this team. You kind of wish that maybe they won that first Utah game or you know other things could have been a little more competitive but for better or for worse I like where they’re at. I can’t go another two-month stretch without Jaylen Green. I am already incredibly concerned what’s going to happen when Devin Booker has it’s just an every year thing for him. He misses five to six games, sometimes 10 because of a hamstring injury that it happened in 2022. It happened last year. It just is a kind of a thing for him. It’s not a, you know, a terrible thing. It’s just something tweaks up on him. He’s got to go a week or two without him. I’m already concerned what that’s gonna what’s going to happen when if that happens. But with Jaylen Green, I can’t go without him for a couple of months, even if he’s an inefficient player. I would still rather, and maybe he’s not, maybe he gets better at it. I would rather him shooting the ball and getting to the rim than Jordan Goodwin. I mean, you and I will get into some of these rotations later, but you mentioned Jordan not being a tactician. Mhm. He is going to have a lot of fun bringing Jaylen Green back in the lineup. One of the reasons why I haven’t killed Jordan not for some of his rotations is two things. One, it’s early in the season. You’re toying with things. I get it. Two, like, and you know, give it 25 games. We’ll see where he’s at then. Two, he’s literally not playing with a full deck. He’s out two of his top four players, two of his top three players, and like that makes things really tough. So, yeah, I think it’s pretty clear you you got to bring him off the bench, don’t start him 21 minutes tomorrow night. And that might even be a little much just because he already had one setback. I completely agree. and and you saw the blueprint with Mark Williams, as I mentioned before, and I think it’s the right way to approach this. It’s tough for a fan base who’s itching to see him finally play to practice patience in this situation, but it’s the right way and and in all honesty, probably could have brought him back earlier. It sounds like he’s been doing five on fives for about a week now. Uh but he is tempering him because he’s seen the big picture. He’s seen the long uh story that lies before us in 74 games to go and it doesn’t benefit the team to just go out there and have him get hurt again and he probably more than anybody Jot wants to play with that full deck so he’s going to do everything he can to put himself in a position to have that deck ready to play with. Now obviously Dylan Brooks continues to be out so we’re still not there yet but he is getting a key piece back and obviously the guy who’s paid the second most money on the team returns. It’s something that you have to be be looking forward to and excited for tomorrow night uh at home against the Clippers. Yeah, you and I will both be there. You better be. Let’s go over to the uh uh Devin Booker side of things. We’ll look at his performance, but I do want to touch on what this means for Devin Booker with Jaylen Green’s return, and we’ll do that next. Today’s show is brought to you by the lovely folks over at Gusto. Let’s be real. No one starts a business for the joy of calculating taxes, withholdings, or managing payroll spreadsheets. That’s where Gusto comes in. Takes the stress out of payroll, benefits, and HR so you can run focus on running your business and supporting your team. Gusto is an all-in-one remote friendly payroll and HR platform that makes managing your team simple, transparent, and fast. Whether you’re hiring, onboarding, or paying employees, Gusto helps you do it all from one place without the hassle or hidden fees. Unlimited payroll for one monthly price, which means no surprise charges at the end of the month. And knowing you can reach certified HR experts anytime, gives you the real peace of mind. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/lockdonba and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That’s right, three months of free payroll at gusto.com/lockonba. One more time, that’s gusto.comlockedonba. So, we would both agree that now I don’t think that the Devin Booker I think criticisms were I don’t think that they were too crazy. I thought the outside like at the beginning of the season, the first couple of games where he was struggling a little bit. I don’t want to make it seem like he’s still playing bad because he’s playing supernova like Devin Booker. I don’t think the criticisms of him to start the season were that bad outside of the NBA. Social media is not real. People are calling him wash. That’s nonsense. I think it’s fair to hold him accountable. He’s been awesome. And this is one of the reasons where I said I think this team will be a playin team. I think Devin Booker in the regular season. The playoffs is a whole different animal. In the regular season can be a number one because that neck gets a little wider. The games are officiated differently. You can kind of get away with other things where in the playoffs it’s kind of a bar fight and that doesn’t suit Devin Booker’s physical attributes super well like it does for Luca, like it does for Nicole Joic. Heck, even guys like Jason Tatum. Devin Booker can do this. It’s why we hold him to such a high stand. why they gave him a supermax deal. But what do you think has changed dramatically since that Utah since that first Utah loss? What has changed for Deon Booker? Cuz since then his numbers are through the bleeping roof. It’s it’s pretty simple in my opinion, Ben. It’s comfortability. The you know, he he was blasted on Bickley for his body language, right? That was a big challenge with Deon Booker. What did you think of that? I thought it was, you know, I wrote a piece in response to it and said it was kind of bogus that Well, I just want to say just really quickly like when you do this, cuz I want to protect you, too. I’m assuming you’re not going after the person. You can say you are if you want to. It’s all sports at the end of the day. And like I thought the take was terrible. I thought it was a terrible take. I I thought it was a take that was trying to tie in more of the issues that we’re experiencing with Kyler Murray than that we should with Devin Booker because 100% because he was very focused on the jersey number one. And when you have Devin Booker not wanting to talk to the media uh and not you know shaking the everybody’s hand after hit missing two key shots in a game that they lost by one point that to me didn’t tell me that this guy’s frustrated with the team. It’s he was frust frustrated at his personal performance because you take a look at who and what he is this season and Devin Booker has been on a heater. Now has his body language quote unquote looked off at times? You could say that but the way that I’ve interpreted it in the entire season is it’s a level of uncomfortability because he’s playing with guys that he’s never played before. He’s trying to understand understand where his spots on the floor are. He’s trying to understand where his fellow teammates again that he’s never played with before are going to be on the floor and how he can open them up and how what they do can open him up as a player. So, it wasn’t a negative body language situation for Devin Booker. It’s him seeking how he can be the most effective version of himself while also elevating the players around him. And you look at it and you know, shout out to Kay. actually gave me a a little shout out on the broadcast because because I mentioned this in one of my articles talking about just that very fact about what Dan Bickley had said to that point Devin Booker had played as a part of 56 different lineups in through six games 56 different lineups Ben right now it’s two games after that it’s 60 lineups so what it’s showcasing is there’s some uh stabilization that’s occurring there’s some familiarity with these lineups that are occurring and because of that Deon Booker knows how to elevate his teammates, but primarily he knows how and where he can get his to his uh spots on the floor. He can rise up and he can execute. Another part, as you mentioned, it was that that Jazz game, right? Game four of the season. The first three games, one was an amazing comeback and two were against two of the best teams in the NBA. Nobody looked good in those two games. So, everyone sitting there thinking that Devin Booker looks awful. It’s like, no, the team looked awful because of multiple reasons to include the fact that they’ve got 14 new players, but also that they’re playing elite competition in the Western Conference. So, all of these things can be true simultaneously. The one thing that isn’t true is the fact that Devin Booker’s body language was off in a negative manner. It might have not been overjoyed because he missed a game-winning shot where he probably could have dribbled the ball two more times, penetrated enough to get a better look, and so he probably was a little bit frustrated. Gosh forbid that we have a player who is frustrated at losing. You know what? I’m happy he’s frustrated at losing. I’m happy he’s not just going in the back talking to me and be like, “Yeah, I’m chilling. There’s another game tomorrow.” No, he absorbed that loss. He took it on the chin. He got better. He came out the next day and he has continued to execute to the best of his abilities and starting the best that he’s ever done in the history of the Phoenix Suns. We are experiencing nobody’s had a better start to a season than Deon Booker’s having right now, ever, statistically easily. So, I’m enjoying what I’m seeing from Deon Booker. I’m again, everything you said at the front end is true. When it gets to the playoffs, it’s a completely different game. But during the regular season when we need him the most right now when we’re down two star of our five starters, he’s elevating. He’s executing and he’s reminding us why he is our Batman, why he is our alpha, and why he is eventually going to get paid $75 million a year for his services because he is the franchise. He is the chosen son. Yeah, I um I’m more of a Spider-Man guy, but we can go the Batman route if you want. Spider-Man doesn’t have a sidekick. Yeah, I um I don’t know like Bickley. I’ve talked to him a couple of times. I’m not really I got no issue with and I know Yeah. No one’s We’re not going after the guy Bickley. I I will go after people. I’ve got no reason to go after Bickley. Um I thought it was a terrible take. I didn’t even understand it. Um I think it might have been some of the Kyler Murray stuff that’s on the Arizona Cardinal side that, you know, we obviously won’t get into, but I thought it was crazy. I thought kind of the same thing you did like a little bit unc but I said to people I think the difference was because I came off pretty harsh was I just expect more from the supermax player and I told people after games in the arena figure it out I don’t care you make $75 million a year not yet but he will but he will right and so I was just like figure it out and you know what he did figured it out but I think even the bigger thing is and I mentioned this a couple of times and you know in the in the offseason is when I said you know he can be super do over Devin Booker and that’s just easier to do in the regular season. He can do that. It is. But the other thing I mentioned was one of the reasons why I gave Deon Booker slack a little bit to start the season was he the players around him were not hitting shots. He was finding guys open a lot and they were not paying that off. They were not doing him a service. And so when that happens, that’s why Devin Booker is right now statistically the most blitzed player and has seen the most double teams in the NBA because other opposing teams are saying, “Beat us. Hey, hey, OSO, who we’re going to talk about in a second here, make this shot. Hey, Nick Richards, you looked good in the preseason. Let’s see if you do in the regular season.” Like that happens. But that’s where Jaylen Green comes into play. Let’s talk about really quickly on the other side what Jaylen Green’s impact is going to directly do to Devin Booker. And I’m going to say it’s probably going to be a good thing. Let’s do that next. Today’s episode is brought to you by the lovely folks over at FanDuel. The NBA is back and there’s no better place to get in on the action than FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you miss the start of a game or want to ride the hot hand, FanDuel has live bets on everything from who will score next to fourth quarter comebacks. Plus, you can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. Keeps every game exciting, especially when your team’s making that late push. Hey, the Suns have got the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow or whenever you’re listening. Maybe you’re listening in the morning. They’ve got them tonight. And listen, you want to go a little Bradley Beal revenge action, maybe you just take the Suns on the Money Line. And right now, FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when when your first $5 bet wins. So head to fanduel.com to sign up and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. So, hey, really quick. No, no, really quick. You got to get me in on those FanDuel ads because I always got good advice. I’m telling you right now, four assists from Grayson Allen is like a money maker. They haven’t adjusted the lines appropriately. You parlay that appropriately with something else like Mark Williams rebounds, probably not tonight against the Clippers because of Vita Zubac. And then you use one of those 30% boosts that they give you. It’s free money, guys. Just saying. I’m not a I’m not a financial adviser. It’s not It’s not free money. It’s not free money. We But it is. You feel good about it. Ain’t that right, John? You feel good about it. Yes, sir. With that being said, hey, so let’s talk about Jaylen Green and his impact with Booker. Like people have kind of heard the reasons why I think Jaylen Green is going to help, you know, be a better player with Devin Booker. Part of it is secondary score, new offense, his ability to be a little bit more of a focal point efficiently and him being found wide open in the corners on catch and shoot threes that he has a pretty high percentage. I think it’s 45% from that. What do you think is going to impact Devin Booker the most positively for Jaylen Green? It’s just going to open up more space for him. Jaylen Green likes to shoot the three ball almost to his detriment. But what he does loves it. What but what he does best is he attacks the cylinder and he creates a gravitational pole that’s ultimately going to if used effectively open up Devin Booker right in his sweet spot of the mid-range. That’s what I’m looking forward to uh to seeing when he comes in is to seeing how much pressure he can put on the rim because the Suns are a team that this year is putting a lot more pressure uh on the cylinder than they have in years past. I mean, you take a look at it and uh they have they’re shooting 73.9% from the restricted area, which is fourth best in the NBA. And they have 25 paint touches per game. Ben, that’s sixth most in the NBA. This team was 28th last year in in paint touches and that’s without Jaylen Green. So Jaylen Green’s going to touch the paint. When you touch the paint in the NBA, good things happen. It’s going to open up Deon Booker. It’s going to open up a lot of of of players on this team. The key to success for the Phoenix Suns is the same thing as when Devin Booker has been out there. Is when you get the ball wide open because of the gravity that Devin Booker or in this case Jaylen Green provides you. You got to knock down the shot. You knock down those shots. We turn into the Warriors, you know, a couple nights ago. Exactly. Yeah. Or two. Yeah, I guess two nights ago when you’re listening to this two nights ago because it was it wasn’t Steph Curry who was murdering us. It wasn’t Jimmy Butler, you know, it’s Moses Moodia Moody and Quinton Post and you know the guys who are finding themselves wide open because of the gravity other people create from. That’s what the Suns offense should look like. And again, a reminder that this team uh is is attempting 42.53 points a game, which is fourth most in the NBA and more than they shot last year under Bud when they were focused on it. Well, it’s because they were playing random and you just didn’t embrace the random offense. Yeah, it it wasn’t random enough apparently. Well, it was also a team predicated on guys who thrive in the mid-range and they didn’t touch the paint. The way to find open threes is touching the paint. It’s just geometry. It’s basketball geometry. The last time you and I talked about Oso Giggodaro and the rotations, like again, I’m not going to kill a lot. People very quick to getting upset with him because we have some PTSD from former head coaches Vogle, Bud, a little bit of Monty Williams towards the end who got kind of out coached in a lot of the playoff series he’s played in. That dude loved Abdul Nater. Yeah. Well, Abdul Nater, Landry Shamut, who was Bud’s guy last year? Mason Plumbley. Was it Mason Plumbley? Is that the one? He did love some Plumbley. And Monty also loved Elliot Kobo. Everyone’s got someone. Oh, so might be Jordan Knaut’s guy. the guys they can’t quit like like Jaylen Green’s back so this is going to be minimized a little bit but John they’ve had too many times now a lineup of Oso a combination of him livers Nigel Hayes Davis and Jordan Goodwin at the on the court at the same time they they just can’t happen like it just can’t happen man you can’t have that many players who are a near negative offensively like nearly all a net negative. Nigel Hayes Davis pretty much a net negative right now. Jordan Goodwin, he’s got the worst plus minus on the team. Minus. He’s terrible. I listen man, people are starting to join this bandwagon with me. I didn’t see it from freaking game one with him. Jordan Goodwin is actually been a little bit of a surprise, but how long is how long is that going to last until he becomes what he’s supposed to be? the, you know, third stream point guard comes off the bench, plays scrappy five minutes where he, you know, kind of flourishes that five, six minute role. Oh, so man, he’s becoming I used this analogy last night or this whatever. He’s becoming the Jonah Williams of the Phoenix Suns. Everyone’s pointing him out. It’s as clear as day. And you’re like, I think he hates everyone else on the team with the way that he plays. Um, I don’t know how much longer you can keep that guy out there. Maybe things change with Jaylen Green coming back, but I would much rather see those minutes. He played 20 freaking minutes last night. Those 20 minutes and Nigel Hayes Davis is like extra five minutes and split those up between Come on, Malawatch and Rashir Fleming. But again, I think I’m just preaching to the choir at this point. So, I’ll say this and it’s 17.8 8 minutes is what OSO’s averaging. You know, all season, all off season, uh the one thing that I’ve been preaching on Bright Side of the Sun on the Suns Jam Session podcast and sitting here with you, Ben, is patience, right? Uh waving the flag for letting the rookie simmer before you toss them into the fire. Because development isn’t just about clocking minutes. It’s about putting a player in the right context, right? Like letting rhythm and opportunity shape them instead of pressure. And like that’s why I’m I’m glad I didn’t see a 19-year-old come on Malaw watch thrown at Victor Wmanyama last uh Sunday like a sacrifice because letting him learn through film and reps not failure felt feels smarter because if you put him out there Victor Womenyama is going to toast come on Malawatch and I’d rather have film put together that he can watch on how that team executed their defense instead of being a part of that experiment you know but again like patience is starting to fray And it’s because of the guy who wears number 11. Osoe Gadoro. Like he has all the intangibles that you root for. Like high IQ, quick reads, clean decisions. But the more Au leans on him, the more his flaws are getting spotlighted. And he’s got some flaws. Like his shot doesn’t pull defenders. Uh his spacing gums up possessions. His numbers uh they paint a grim picture, right? He’s shooting 42% from the field, which is down from over 60% last year. He’s got more turnovers than assist. and and he’s a minus 33 which is second worst on the team only to Nigel Hayes Davis right so he’s not unskilled he’s just miscast and he’s stuck between positions kind of like Bull was in that weird basketball purgatory you know where it’s like he he he’s too small to be one thing and he’s too big to be another and in his case he’s just kind of he’s too small to be a big and he’s not skilled enough to be a four so you know you can see him out there you can see our confidence slipping in him one dribble at a time. And that’s what makes those rookies so tempting right now cuz like Malawatch has the size, Rashir Fleming has the wingspan, and both bring the kind of rain range and energy that like OSO can’t. So like I have a theory like the G-League starts here in a couple days, November 8th, and maybe that’s the pivot point. Maybe that’s the moment that Jordan and the Suns can finally experiment without consequence. Maybe OSO heads to Tempee to recalibrate and maybe the kids, you know, they get their first crack of real minutes. But either way, the slow burn can’t last forever. Uh you you feel something shifting underneath the surface and I feel like it’s just a matter of time before we do start to see that insertion of Kan Malawatch. We do see that insertion of Rashir Fleming because OSO is your sophomore player. You want to give him an opportunity to see what he has. And what we’re seeing as you know kind of based on the statistics that I that I’ve stated is not something that’s productive or beneficial to the team. What did like the here’s what it feels like Suns fans and everydayers are going to be like be able to say the next words out of my mouth because I’ve done the same segment a million times but I have to after games forget the you know oh soaro conversation look at the team what does he do well that the lineup or the rotation as a whole doesn’t already have he’s a fine passer he’s actually pretty good passer but he’s a worse passer this year than he was last year, right? Exactly, man. And my point is like, with Rashir Fleming, I don’t know if he can do this, but he’s got the potential to be one of the best two-way players in the NBA. You know what? You cannot have too much of 69 forwards with a 73 wingspan and just see what they can do. There you go. And come on, Malawatch. What is he at? I don’t know. potentially be one of the best rim defenders in the league and with with the athleticism that I think rivals Jayen Green around the rim. So listen, I know you’re saying and to play and to play as devil advocate. The reason why to this point you can you can talk yourself into not playing these guys is and this is for all Suns fans who are like you know 22 and under. You might not remember Maris Chris or Alex Lenn or Dragon Bender the guys who we threw out there right off the bat gave him a ton of minutes but the challenge is they didn’t have an opportunity to develop properly. And again, to develop properly, you need to be a part of the team, understand the atmosphere, but at the same time, you’re not the one out there making mistakes. The mistakes are occurring by some of the veterans guy, the veteran guys. You sit in practice, you review the sets, you go, “See what he did right here. See what he did right here. All right, let’s practice that. See what he did wrong. Don’t make that mistake.” Instead of having them make the mistakes because confidence in a sport like the NBA is a fickle thing. And if you bruise these guys confidence too early in their career, you could spoil them. So that’s why I continue to kind of wave that flag of patience knowing that it will come on this team that doesn’t have aspirations to be a playoff team. You know, a playin team is kind of the the top end uh ceiling for this team. We will see them. But I I’m right there with Suns fans. Again, I wrote a 1,600word piece on Bright Side about my frustration with OSO and trying to understand the entire the situation in its totality because you it is frustrating to see Oso, what he does, what he doesn’t do, and then you look at the bench and you go, “Well, there’s two guys who do exactly what he could do. Glue them together for 17.8 minutes and let’s go, baby.” You know, you also said the thing that I’ve been saying on social media for a little bit now. you said, you know, maybe they send Oso to the G-League. I would have used the word banish because I have already banished Jonah Williams to Alcatres, a lifetime sentence for his sins at the right tackle position. Oscodaro is being charged with his sins on the offensive side of the ball. He might be proven innocent, but he’s this close to going to Alcatres, too. that jump shot, man. It’s it like it’s his his jump shot looks like a gag reflex. Like that’s the basketball. You know what I related it to? So, I’m an avid hoops uh you know, hooper. I I’m literally playing basketball right after this. Um I am never the best player on the court. I’m usually not the worst player on the court. I’m somewhere in the middle. But there are times in the mornings when I go play that I will go to the gym and I am playing with guys who are all severely better than me and thankfully they’re all on my team. But then I play basketball the same way Oso does which is play, you know, try to play aggressive, grab a board, try to make a nice pass, set a screen, set a screen, get the if I get the ball in my hand, get it to someone else, and then get the hell out of the way. You do have the ball in the paint. You’re shocked that you have an opportunity to shoot it. So, you just kind of barf a shot up there instead of a nice That happened to me yesterday. I was hooping yesterday. I had a Everyone on my team was better than me, but I had a clear path to the basket and I go up for this layup and this dude, I swear to you, 65 comes up to swat my ish to another dimension and I got it up there just in the nick of time. And and my teammate goes, “Oh, nice shot, bro.” And I’m like, “Yeah, it was almost very embarrassing.” That’s how OSU has been playing basketball recently. Like he knows he’s the worst player on the team offensively and he’s like, “I’m going to get the hell out of the way and make a good pass.” That’s all I’m trying to do. Just try not to be a net negative, but that doesn’t really work in the NBA. But with that being said, for my guy John Voida, um, DarthVoa on social media, managing editor of Bright Side of the Sun, for myself, Benjamin Garcia, we’re both going to be at the game tomorrow. So, uh, maybe we’ll just, depending where the Suns media wants to sit us, maybe we’re right next to each other and, uh, and then we’ll just chat it up, you know, talk about all things NBA and we’ll just bring it right back to you guys whenever the, you know, whenever you and I rec we’ll just record us doing that for two hours and then just post that as the pod. It sounds like a plan for John Voya, for myself, Benjamin Garcia, for everyone tuning into the show. It’s been locked on Phoenix Suns. And I will talk to you guys postgame tomorrow. You think the Suns beat the Clippers? Just really quickly. No. You’re the worst. Well, they’re just too They’re too talented. You’re the worst. You’re the worst. You’re the worst. The Suns. No, the Pelicans are the worst. We’ll beat them on Monday. Talk to you guys later. Can you imagine if there’s a Bradley Beal revenge game? Come on. Real deal. Bradley Beal. Five points.

Jalen Green is finally set to debut for the Phoenix Suns after missing the first eight games, and his return couldn’t come at a better time. With the Suns sitting at 3-5 and Devin Booker carrying the offensive load without a true second option, Green’s ability to attack the paint and create gravity will open up the floor in ways this roster desperately needs.

Benjamin Garcia and John Voita break down how Green’s return impacts Booker’s stellar play, why the Suns need to rethink Oso Ighodaro’s minutes despite his draft pedigree, and whether rookies Kaman Malawatch and Rasheer Fleming deserve a shot in the rotation. The hosts also discuss Booker’s response to recent body language criticism and why he’s having the best statistical start to a season in Phoenix Suns history.

Tune in for an honest assessment of the Suns’ early season struggles and what adjustments could turn their season around.

0:00 Intro
1:42 Jalen Green’s Return Impact on Suns
5:22 Green’s Debut and Offensive Potential
8:07 Minutes Restriction and Easing Green Back
11:31 Devin Booker’s Superstar Performance Analysis
14:22 Body Language Controversy and Bickley’s Take
18:14 Booker’s Evolution as Team’s Batman
21:20 How Green Opens Space for Booker
24:24 Oso Ighodaro’s Rotation Problems
29:34 Rookie Development vs Playing Time Debate
32:38 Oso’s Offensive Struggles and G League
35:01 Clippers Game Preview and Predictions

📲 Follow Locked On Suns on TikTok
Locked On Suns https://www.tiktok.com/@lockedonphxsuns?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

📲 Follow Locked On Suns on Instagram
Locked On Suns https://www.instagram.com/lockedonphxsuns/

📲 Follow Locked On Suns on X
Locked On Suns https://x.com/LockedOnPHXSuns
Ben Garcia https://x.com/BenGarciaShow

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOSuns?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

📢 Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

DoorDash
Next time someone goes off for 50, use promo code NBA50 the next day to get 50% off on DoorDash with DashPass — plus your shot at the Bag Drop.
DashPass members only. 50% off up to $10 the day after a 50-point game with promo code. Terms apply.
No Purchase Necessary. Ends April 13th. Open to U.S. residents 21 or older. Visit DoorDashInYourBag.com for full details.
DoorDash — In your bag all season long.

Robinhood
You expect more from yourself. Expect more from your money. Get started today at robinhood.com/yourmoney. Your money. Your move.

All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Options, futures, and crypto trading carry significant risk and may not suit all investors. Securities offered through Robinhood Financial LLC, member SIPC. Futures trading is offered by Robinhood Derivatives, LLC and not SPIC or FDIC protected. Crypto offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840), not FDIC or SIPC protected. Portfolio management offered by Robinhood Strategies, an SEC-registered advisor.

Gametime
Today’s episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.

FanDuel
Right now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app now by visiting https://FanDuel.com to get started

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)