Suns @ Celtics Monday Game Thread, 3-16-2026

[Phrazbit]

I dunno what to make of Green.

He has some amazing plays but the ball just doesn't move at all when he's on the court. I'd much rather Allen was the other ball handler than Green. He's been better defensively than I thought but he's just not the type of offensive player that this team needs.

I like that he can push the pace, I don't like that he views passing as a last resort and that he is in love with 20 foot 2 point shots and off balance driving layups.

His baseline stats have been much improved but we generally are worse when he's on the court.

If we can get anything for him, we should take it.

 

[Hoop Head]

I dunno what to make of Green.

He has some amazing plays but the ball just doesn't move at all when he's on the court. I'd much rather Allen was the other ball handler than Green. He's been better defensively than I thought but he's just not the type of offensive player that this team needs.

I like that he can push the pace, I don't like that he views passing as a last resort and that he is in love with 20 foot 2 point shots and off balance driving layups.

His baseline stats have been much improved but we generally are worse when he's on the court.

If we can get anything for him, we should take it.

I really like Green but his salary makes keeping him an issue. If he were paid 2/3 of his annual salary then we could be more patient with him. He shows flashes of being the combo guard we need though. Still at $35m a year, you'd hope he'd be a further along.

Need to hope it's the injuries that have kept him from becoming what we need. He has the talent and has proven capable but the tunnel vision is concerning. He plays a lot like Eric Bledsoe when he's not attacking the basket also. I can't help but see it since I was thinking of the best athlete we had prior to Green's acquisition. The long 2's and late passes, primarily.

 

[Covert Rain]

Green is a talent but the biggest knock on him I had heard from many of his fans was that he isn't a smart basketball player. I think we see some of that when the ball "sticks". However, is it really his fault? I mean, I see guys just standing around when he has the ball. Is that on Jalen? I don't know if it's because he just isn't fully integrated or because they think once he has the ball, it's not coming out of his hands.

Also, I think we are seeing late in games is how badly we miss Williams and Brooks. Those guys can change a few possessions late in games and keep other guys honest so to speak. I feel like every other game we face a player we just have no answer for.

 

[BooksOrangePlanet]

our offense is still learning how to work with jalen green and that aint on jalen green - it's on math imo

we had book and williams a bunch of 3 point shooters and it worked pretty good but obviously couldn't score at times when book was sitting - even worse when injured

but the bench worked through it by playing defense - it became one of the better benches in the league

then jalen came back then brooks went out then williams went out - green brooks and williams are all starters that haven't played together this year - that's going to be a crunch time issue

when numbers change the math changes and the answer changes - we're still trying to make the numbers work - i am 100% not worried about jalen green - im worried about our 3 pt shooters adjusting to fewer shots with jalen green

suns put up 83 shots last night - book and jalen shot well over half of them - that and our snipers are setting up in different spots - all our movement uptop is changing - the new spacing looked great at the beginning of the night last night - it became 4 on 4 when we tucked our center down low but boston figured it out - i don't know if we will before the playoffs tho - we must continue to evolve

 

[Suns_fan69]

Book has dreadful going hero ball down the stretch in two straight games. That’s last years crap. Hopefully Ott has the cajones to tell him to play 2025-2026 style from now on.

The team is more successful when Book gets the ball coming off actions already in motion. In crunch time last couple of games, they pitch it to him at a standstill, sometimes at the elbow, sometimes at the top of the key. He just gets swarmed in those situations, and hasn't been able to be as effective finding people out of it.

 

[Chaplin]

The team is more successful when Book gets the ball coming off actions already in motion. In crunch time last couple of games, they pitch it to him at a standstill, sometimes at the elbow, sometimes at the top of the key. He just gets swarmed in those situations, and hasn't been able to be as effective finding people out of it.

He's also built up good chemistry with Mark Williams, but with no Williams on the floor, that is one less target for Book to look out for.

Williams hadn't been good in the games leading up to his injury, but the option is there and it had an effect in how Book didn't devolve into ISO at the end of games, not like he did in this last game.

 

[Suns_fan69]

He's also built up good chemistry with Mark Williams, but with no Williams on the floor, that is one less target for Book to look out for.

Williams hadn't been good in the games leading up to his injury, but the option is there and it had an effect in how Book didn't devolve into ISO at the end of games, not like he did in this last game.

That's a great point. If I'm not mistaken the Suns have gone small both crunch periods, without a lob threat in the dunker's spot. All the screens have been guards/wings for Book, allowing smaller, swarmier defenders that's harder for him to take advantage of.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns inability to get a statement win on the road trip is concerning.

On the bright side, if the Suns ever get healthy, Highsmith is a great addition.

 

[Hoop Head]

He's also built up good chemistry with Mark Williams, but with no Williams on the floor, that is one less target for Book to look out for.

Williams hadn't been good in the games leading up to his injury, but the option is there and it had an effect in how Book didn't devolve into ISO at the end of games, not like he did in this last game.

I think Williams is struggling to find the right spacing with Jalen. Book drives but stops for a short jumper at 10 feet. That gives Williams space inside still. Jalen attacks the basket and Williams has to clear out or his defender can help on Jalen. Since Williams can't hit from deep or leaves his defender free. Ott will need to work on something to make things work. Jalen needs to be free to attack while Williams deserves touches down low.

This is where Maluach will help, if/when he develops. He can pop 3's and finish inside. He's much better suited for spacing. He's not ready yet but he's showing signs more and more.

 

[Covert Rain]

He's also built up good chemistry with Mark Williams, but with no Williams on the floor, that is one less target for Book to look out for.

Williams hadn't been good in the games leading up to his injury, but the option is there and it had an effect in how Book didn't devolve into ISO at the end of games, not like he did in this last game.

The other thing is Williams gives us easy buckets. It's not a ton of scoring but it accumulates over the course of a game when you don't have to work so damn hard for a jump shot instead. It's the thing we were hoping Ayton could do. Williams gives us that. Plus, what doesn't show up on the stats is how many times Williams alters shots.

Just watching Williams on the court verses Muluach (even though he has contributed) is not comparable. Williams looks polished and mostly plays really smart on the court. Muluach still looks lost and sometimes awkward on the court. Although as of late and even though looks like he is making progress, Muluach is not ready to be a starter by any stretch. We need Williams back.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Teams are collapsing on Book hard. No one is positioning to be an outlet for Book that can take advantage of the double team. Other teams have guys wide open off a double team. The Celtics had three point shooters playing off Green and it worked. Why can't we do this with Book?

Agreed. Personally I think it’s (a) book allows himself to often trapped too far out; and (b) he’s just never been good at recognizing where the trap is coming from and burning it.

 

[Chaplin]

Agreed. Personally I think it’s (a) book allows himself to often trapped too far out; and (b) he’s just never been good at recognizing where the trap is coming from and burning it.

Maybe he needs to be doubled more in practice and pickup games.

 

[Proximo]

they're 39-28... and missing two starters and you're asking them to go into Boston, one of the best teams in the league who just got one of the best players in the league back, and win.

that's just not realistic. at all.

You still think so? We had a 4 point lead with 3 minutes left. It was not at all unrealistic.

 

[leclerc]

Boston is simply better at closing games.