PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns could be down two starters in their Monday night showdown against the Utah Jazz.
On their injury report, Dillon Brooks is listed as questionable with right groin soreness while Jalen Green continues to miss action with his hamstring injury.
As for the Jazz, Isaiah Collier (hamstring) and Georges Niang (left foot) are out tonight.
Phoenix did get some good news as starting center Mark Williams was removed from the injury report as the team looks to manage his health in the early stages of the regular season.
Tip is at 6 PM MST.
Brooks, who arrived to Phoenix in the Kevin Durant trade with the Houston Rockets, has played at least 27 minutes in all three of the Suns’ start to the regular season, averaging 19.3 points with 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists to pair.
In Saturday night’s loss vs. Denver, he also recorded four steals and one block.
Royce O’Neale may be a candidate to get the starting spot in his place if Brooks can’t go.
So far, Brooks has delivered on his promise to be the energetic problem on the court, providing a sense of hustle and grit that first-year head coach Jordan Ott desperately wants to instill throughout the rest of the roster.
Even so in practice.
“If we ever want intensity in practice, we just have them play 5-on-5,” Ott said of Brooks previously (h/t Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic).
“It’s instantly brought. Dillon leads it, for sure, but everyone picks up their play. That entire ‘purple’ squad, Oso (Ighodaro) has grown into someone that will chirp back. Collin brings his own edge to it. That’s who these guys are.”
As for Green, who landed alongside Brooks in the Houston trade, he’s been sidelined with a hamstring injury the entire preseason. Ahead of the the regular season, Ott confirmed he would be re-evaluated in ten days – though the Suns still aren’t ready to roll the guard out into action.
“He’s obviously not going to play [this weekend],” Ott said after practice on Thursday. “That’s pretty easy to see. He’s still working through it. I would say by the end of the road trip, there will be more [updates], but at this point, definitely nothing.”
Grayson Allen and Devin Booker have been the two starters in the Suns’ backcourt to begin festivities, though it’s clear Phoenix is missing Green as a scorer/shot creator.
Phoenix is 1-2 on the season while Utah is 1-1. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Jazz a 58.7% chance to win tonight.
