PHOENIX — Jalen Green's debut for the Phoenix Suns appears to be well worth the wait for the team and the fanbase. Weeks prior, it wasn't like that.

When the team took off for its preseason trip to China, Green suffered a hamstring injury that would keep him out until the season opener.

Even when the 10-day evaluation period came around, he wasn't cleared. Granted, head coach Jordan Ott said it would be a “day-by-day” thing. But that phrase turned into a week-to-week thing.

The constant waiting and seeing his teammates compete every day, drove him mad. However, there was light at the end of the tunnel.

During the team's shootaround on Thursday, the guard was spotted shooting on the court after media availability concluded. Fast forward seven hours to pregame, Ott announced he would play.

Despite being on a minutes restriction, Green made the most of it. He posted 29 points, three rebounds, and three assists while shooting 6-for-13 from deep in 23 minutes of action.

Playing in front of the home crowd felt long overdue, but Green was grateful for the chance to suit up.

“It's frustrating… but that’s part of the mental game right there, just locking in with my coaches,” Green said postgame on Thursday, referencing his recovery period for his right hamstring strain.

“A big shout-out to the training staff. They held me down. It was a tricky situation, so we just stuck with it and stacked days.”

Jalen Green wowed many in the Suns' debut

Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) celebrates a three point shot against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second half at the Mortgage Matchup Center.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Before Green's season debut, he caught flak for being an inefficient, volume scorer who was a freak athlete. Granted, a one-game sample size isn't enough means for justification, but it's safe to say he's put in the work.

The former G-League Ignite guard already cemented his name in the franchise's record book in only one game. Green became the first Suns player to make six 3-point shots in his first game with the franchise.

Plenty of his 3-point makes were contested shots, not just catch-and-shoot opportunities that his teammates had. They were off the dribble, the catch, and he consistently showed the ability to make a move off that catch. The shooting caught many by surprise, and the degree of difficulty was impressive.

Immediately after that sixth trey, Green flexed towards the Phoenix crowd and got himself hyped, which spread to his teammates. That enthusiasm and passion were something the Suns missed last season.

As soon as he made that 3, the game was basically sealed. For Ott, moments like Green's celebration to the crowd can get lost in translation, but he knows their magnitude.

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“We can get too technical at times or too analytical or too data-based to where the spirit in the environment and the joy of basketball is often left behind,” Ott said postgame.

“You can feel it. You can feel the energy of the building you’re in, whether you’re on the road or at home. But when you have a united group and they’re cheering for each other, plays like that stick.”

Jalen Green's game fully unlocks the Suns' identity

Obviously, one player typically cannot make all the difference. But don't say that to Green. He made that difference when he was with the Houston Rockets — helping propel them to the No. 2 seed last season.

That Rockets team was, and still is, relatively young. Despite a new change of scenery, nearly the same situation applies. This is another.

Green is also someone that Devin Booker has never played with before. He's played with guys who can create their own shot, but nobody quite like the 23-year old.

He's as explosive of an athlete as there is in the NBA currently. His ability to get downhill is something the league is adjusting to. The highlight reels don't paint the full story.

For instance, for his first points in a Suns uniform, he pulled off an up-and-under acrobatic layup. That was only a microcosm of his game.

All the questions surrounding Green's fit with Booker might've completely vanished. 29 points in 23 minutes is certainly impressive, and something that Suns fans haven't seen in quite some time.

This might be just a glimpse of how Phoenix's new backcourt duo can activate the Valley of the Sun once again.