PHOENIX– Jalen Green has arguably the most offensive potential on the Phoenix Suns. His athleticism, slashing ability, and underrated playmaking always had Steve Nash's attention.
The latter, who was brought in as a special advisor to the team, has helped players develop in different ways. Whether it's talking to Devin Booker or head coach Jordan Ott, it feels like he's always speaking to someone and pouring into them.
But when it came to coaching up Green, the origin of their work together began organically.
“I was shooting with CG (Collin Gillespie),” he said on Tuesday. “We just had little shooting conversations and then Steve sat there and watched one day. And then after that, it was every day, or every other day, whatever the case may be.”
Following that, it wasn't solely the X's and O's, but it was how Nash articulated it.
“Just to learn the game from a mind like that, who understands and has done it before at the highest level, has won all the accolades you can think of,” Green said. It’s special to understand, and for him to teach at the same time, I thought it was super helpful, especially for the season I’m trying to have.”
Jalen Green is aiming to be the Suns prime playmaker
Article Continues BelowEven with someone like Booker, who has shown he can run the offense, the team is turning it over to Green. They haven't said it outright, but working with Nash can point out the obvious.
It was something Ott hammered home during media day, and expanded upon his point on Monday.
“Credit to (Jalen). He was here for the five-month offseason,” Ott said. “It helps that he was here last year and believed in this building. Again, it's completely voluntary, but he still chose to live here and work in this facility.”
That commitment is something to notice, given the team's offseason acquisitions. Extending Dillon Brooks and trading for Miles Bridges adds more scoring to an already score-first roster.
But it seems that Green is ready to take the leap and expand his game into what the Suns need him to be.