The Phoenix Suns have hardly seen their star backcourt pair of Devin Booker and Jalen Green on the floor together this season. While the team has more concerningly been without Booker since Jan. 23, Suns head coach Jordan Ott provided a promising update recently.
While speaking during his pre-game media availability, Ott revealed that Booker had been making noteworthy progress while recovering from his ankle injury.
“Book is making tremendous progress,” Ott noted. “Obviously been on the court multiple times. Trending in a good spot.”
Although there isn’t a strict timeline for return yet, Ott shared:
“We know who he is. As soon as he can get out there, he’s going to get out there, whether the All-Star break is tomorrow or in two weeks. He’s going to rehab like crazy. He was in there again this morning. Whenever he’s ready, he will be out there.”
The Suns’ head coach added that he was recovering at a rapid pace ahead of his scheduled re-evaluation this weekend, even stating that the Suns’ superstar seemed like he was skipping steps to heal quicker.
Devin Booker’s motivation for returning may also be fueled by his selection as an All-Star reserve, something that Ott praised him for during his press conference. With the Suns franchise being represented at the All-Star Game, the team will hope to see the guard available in the days leading up to the event.
While the news involving Devin Booker instilled a sense of optimism, the same cannot necessarily be said for Jalen Green, who suffered a hard fall and injured his hip during the game against the Cavaliers on Friday.
“Everything was good until that fall,” Ott shared. “We’re going to be smart here. Everyone saw the fall and how hard it was. Mechanically, we want everything to be right, his back to be feeling right, his hip to be feeling right, but it appears that everything was good with the comeback on the hamstring.”
The Suns have every reason to be cautious about their approach with Green. Given that the guard missed the first eight games of the season only to re-aggravate the hamstring injury upon his return, the franchise will aim to treat his recovery process with extreme care.
While Green’s absence is more recent, the Suns have been without Devin Booker for the last five games. Surprisingly, despite being without one of their key players, Phoenix has posted a 3-2 record during that stretch.
Still, considering the team’s current position (7th in the West), the Suns will hope to see their star back in action to boost their performance. Given Devin Booker’s averages of 25.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game this season, he is more than capable of helping the team realize their potential as a playoff squad.
