Jalen Green in a 'good place' physically as Suns head into pivotal post–All-Star matchup with Spurs

Jalen Green is entering the Suns' post–All-Star stretch in what the team describes as a healthy spot, a marked development after a stop-start recovery that has included multiple hamstring setbacks and a hip contusion. That progress matters now because Phoenix opens its first game after the break against the San Antonio Spurs with playoff positioning and backcourt chemistry on the line.

Jalen Green's recent minutes and medical trajectory

Green logged his heaviest two-game minute total (37 combined minutes) since joining Phoenix before missing the Suns’ final pre–All-Star contest for injury management. In those two games he averaged 10 points and 3. 5 assists, numbers below the standard expected at full strength but meaningful as evidence that he can handle consecutive games after a pattern of struggling to get through a second outing during earlier returns.

The Suns outlined a sequence of setbacks that shaped this recovery. Green initially dealt with a hamstring injury that was re-aggravated during preseason training camp, then flared again in his second game in a Suns uniform. After a 2. 5-month absence he re-injured the hamstring in the second game after a return, and on a subsequent comeback he suffered a hip contusion from a hard fall. Both the hip and the hamstring were listed as factors ahead of the two games he played before the break; only the hamstring was listed for the final game he missed.

General manager Brian Gregory framed the timing of the All-Star break and those consecutive minutes as important to Green’s readiness, saying the club believes the guard is in a good place as the Suns enter the final portion of the season. Gregory also noted Green’s work ethic and engagement with coaches while sidelined.

Fit with Devin Booker, lineup implications and immediate pressures

Green’s reintroduction pairs him with Devin Booker in what the franchise envisions as a long-term backcourt nucleus. In limited action together they have produced a +20 net rating across 59 minutes shared on the court, one of the more efficient two-man combinations on the team in that sample size. The club’s assessment is optimistic about the pair’s upside as they play more possessions together.

The early post-break slate raises immediate stakes. Phoenix enters the stretch as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, separated by 1. 5 games from the No. 6 spot that would avoid the Play-In Tournament. San Antonio arrives as the No. 2 seed and on a winning run, making the opener a high-leverage chance for Green and Booker to deepen on-court chemistry. Roster shifts add context: Dillon Brooks is suspended after accumulating his 16th technical foul, which removes a defensive element from Phoenix’s rotation, Grayson Allen is ruled out for the Spurs matchup, and Booker exited a recent game with right hip soreness, introducing further variables to rotation planning.

What remains unclear:

• Whether Green will be managed with a specific minute cap in the immediate games after the break.
• The precise recovery timeline for Green’s hamstring and hip if either issue flares.
• How Booker’s right hip soreness and Allen’s absence will reshuffle short-term rotations and Green’s usage.

Next realistic scenarios and triggers:

• Managed ramp-up: Green plays limited minutes in the opener to continue building consecutive-game durability; success here leads to gradual increase over the next handful of games.
• Immediate chemistry boost: Green and Booker log meaningful stints together and sustain positive net ratings, accelerating the club’s plan for them as a primary backcourt pairing.
• Setback and rest: A recurrence of hamstring tightness or hip soreness prompts more conservative management and extended time off before heavier minutes are reintroduced.
• Role expansion due to absences: With a suspension and other players unavailable or limited, Green assumes greater offensive and defensive responsibility, testing his readiness in higher-leverage minutes.

Why this matters now

Green’s health trajectory directly affects Phoenix’s short- and medium-term objectives. Securing a top-six seed would avoid the Play-In Tournament and is framed internally as a critical goal; the Suns’ ability to accelerate Booker–Green chemistry while protecting long-term availability is a delicate balance. For Green personally, navigating consecutive-game minutes without regression is essential for both immediate contribution and career development; for the team, how the coaching staff manages minutes and rotations over the final stretch will shape playoff positioning and the backcourt identity moving forward.

Timing and outcomes remain subject to change as the Suns begin their post–All-Star schedule, so the coming games will offer clearer evidence about whether the current optimism about Jalen Green’s condition holds under regular usage.