It’s been one heck of a first season in Phoenix for Suns guard Jalen Green. And not in a good way.
The veteran is experiencing something he hadn’t in his four seasons prior to his arrival in Phoenix. A lingering hamstring injury is at the center of it all.
For Green, who has now appeared in just six of 53 games this season after returning to action in Saturday’s loss to Philadelphia, it’s all about getting back on the court and feeling that sense of normalcy again.
A lot of that comes down to what’s between his ears.
“I feel myself being a little cautious with certain drives that I could have attempted. Just thinking about it, it’s something you don’t want to happen again obviously,” Green told reporters on Monday. “No one wants to be injured.
“There are times where I think about it, ‘Man, I should have drove,’ but I’m hesitant. That’s going to go out the window once I get some games under my belt and becoming unconscious and forget about it.”
It wasn’t an extended amount of time on the court on Saturday, with Green tallying eight points on 2-of-6 shooting with three rebounds and three assists in 16:42 minutes.
As he put it, “16 minutes is not a lot of time.”
Still, it was progress for a player who has been watching games more than playing them this year. Getting in back-to-back contests — he’s expected to play Tuesday night against Dallas — marks another move in the right direction.
“It was super important,” Green said. “Just trying to get back to what’s normal for me. I know there’s going to be some bumps and bruises of course but that’s how I get back to somewhat normal. Every day just trying to work towards it and get healthier.
“Obviously, there’s still some trust factor and trusting in everything,” he added. “But that’s going to come with time, just playing and being unconscious and just forgetting about injuries. Over time, I’ll get better.”
The Suns are back in action Thursday night against the Dallas Mavericks. The game tips off at 7 p.m. and can be heard on the Arizona Sports app, 98.7 and ArizonaSports.com.
