The Phoenix Suns Might Have One Of The Best Backcourts In The League
Jalen Green and Devin Booker's scoring abilities give the Suns a huge advantage
The Phoenix Suns were finally able to do it.
On Sunday, the Suns announced they traded superstar Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. In exchange, they acquired Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft, and five second-round picks.
Acquiring Green could be seen as a step toward improving the Suns’ future. If the Suns decide to keep him, they will likely pair him in the backcourt with guard Devin Booker.
Although the situation would be beneficial, it could also present a great disadvantage.
An offensive juggernaut
The Suns would appreciate the offensive power that Booker and Green exhibit.
During his 10-year career, Booker possessed the skills of a confident scorer. Along with the ability to score anywhere within the half court, he has also proven to show up in clutch situations. He averages 24.4 points for his career and has only averaged less than 20 in his rookie year.
Booker has also shown that he can be a great playmaker, a trait useful if he starts at the point guard position. He averages 5.2 assists, but started seeing an increase when he took the point guard spot in 2023. He logged an average of 7.0 assists in the last two seasons combined.
As for Green, he is still growing into an elite scorer. During his four seasons in Houston, he averaged 20.1 points.
Green creates a good chunk of his scoring opportunities while in transition, averaging 15.0 transition points for his career. However, unlike Booker, he uses his high athleticism to attack the rim. According to Basketball Reference, he has also recorded a total of 224 dunks in his career.
There is an issue still in the air
The Suns faced multiple issues last year, but their lack of defense was a huge setback. They finished the year with a defensive rating of 119.3, the third-worst in the league.
While having a backcourt of Booker and Green is favorable on offense, it leaves concerns on defense. Although both players have shown slight improvement, they have yet to prove themselves as elite defenders.
The Suns are eager to become contenders again after missing the playoffs for the first time in four years. Even though the Suns didn’t acquire any defensive assets, this backcourt of Green and Booker is a step in the right direction.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to The Lead. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson