Jalen

Green

While Devin Booker cooled off considerably in the second half of Thursday’s 127-107 defeat, Green was solid throughout. The Suns’ guard shot over 50 percent from the field and finished with a complete stat line, including seven assists and three “stocks.” With Phoenix ending its Week 22 in Chicago on Sunday, that could be a big day for Green, with the Bulls headed for the draft lottery.

Green’s streak of 20-point performances grew to five games on Monday, with efficient shooting both inside and outside the arc leading him to finish as the Suns’ second-leading scorer. The athletic scoring guard likely could have seen even greater numbers if not for the Suns taking a sizable lead in the fourth quarter, which would leave him on the bench for the entire final frame. Still, Green walks away with solid production and a low minutes total before Tuesday’s second game of a back-to-back against Orlando.

Green was outstanding on Saturday, shooting over 50 percent from the field and committing no turnovers. Just as good for the Suns was that he only needed to play 22 minutes, as the Suns outscored Utah by 18 points in the first quarter and remained in control throughout. While his category league value has remained low since the All-Star break, Green has been a solid option in points leagues. That should not change in Week 23, with the Suns playing four games.

Green has now scored at least 20 points in eight of his last ten games. While field-goal percentage can be an issue for the Suns’ guard, he made more than half of his attempts in Sunday’s rout of the Raptors. Add in the assists, and this was a nice ending to Week 21 for Green. The Suns play two games in Week 22, starting with the Nuggets on Tuesday, so the upcoming schedule isn’t great.

After totaling 26 points on 10-of-37 shooting in his prior two appearances, Green was much more efficient on Saturday. The Suns’ guard made more than half of his shot attempts from the field, which included a 3-of-6 night from beyond the arc. Green struggled at the foul line, but what he does from the field is of far greater concern for fantasy managers. He’ll look to finish Week 21 on a high note when the Suns host the Raptors on Sunday.

Booker and Jalen Green (17/8/4/1 with one three-pointer) struggled in Thursday’s defeat, shooting a combined 15-of-41 from the field. However, of greater concern may be Booker appearing to tweak his ankle while attempting a last-second heave from half-court that would have won the game. Afterwards, Booker said that his ankle was fine, but that’s something to watch ahead of Saturday’s game against the Bucks.

On the heels of hot-shooting, back-to-back 30-point performances, Green’s production cooled on Monday. In the loss, he narrowly made it past the 20-point mark, which he needed high-volume shooting to do. The first-year Phoenix Sun also had little impact as a passer. Yet, Green secured a team-high in rebounds to help boost his overall fantasy production on the night. He’ll have a chance to bounce back on Tuesday against the Timberwolves.

Green has scored 24 points or more in five straight games, his most productive run of the season to date. The 34 points on Friday were two shy of his season high, set Thursday night against the Pacers. Fantasy managers will hope that Green can carry this production over into Week 21, as the Suns are scheduled to play five games. With two back-to-backs, he may not be a lock to play in all five, but three games of Green at this level is nothing to scoff at.

This was a fantastic showing for Phoenix’s two star guards. Both Green and Devin Booker set new season-highs for scoring, and Green is now averaging 27.5 points while shooting 50.6 percent from the floor over his last four games. Injuries have made this a frustrating season for Green, but he has been productive since the All-Star break. He’ll look to stay hot in Toronto on Thursday to wrap up the week.

In the nine games he played since the All-Star break, Green averaged 17.6 points while shooting 35.3 percent from the field. Against the Bucks, the Suns guard cleaned up the shooting, making 50 percent of his attempts while also recording solid numbers in the rebound and assist categories. Green has failed to provide top-150 value since the All-Star break; hopefully, Tuesday’s performance is the spark that he’s needed.