Mark Williams impresses off bench in Suns debut, working through conditioning ramp-up

PHOENIX — After not playing in the preseason due to a conditioning and strength ramp-up, Mark Williams showed why the Suns traded two first-round picks for him in his Phoenix debut.

He was +15 in his 24 minutes in the team’s season opener on Wednesday with six points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Collin Gillespie (+9) was the only other Sun above +4.

The center responded well physically in the immediate aftermath of the game, head coach Jordan Ott said.

“There is a build up to all this, and it’s a tough back-to-back to open the season (at Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets),” Ott said Thursday. “We’ll take it a game at a time to see exactly how it feels tonight into tomorrow.

“But it looked on the court pretty good and his initial reaction right here (at practice) has been pretty good.”

Going off a “target number” of minutes Ott wanted Williams at, the center played roughly the last half of each quarter, while also playing most of the fourth quarter.

His only stint with more than six consecutive minutes played was between 4:57 left in the third quarter and 7:06 left in the game. He was back in with 4:20 remaining, going the rest of the way.

Phoenix was down 10 to begin his longer stint and up by four when he exited.

With many of Williams’ minutes lining up with Devin Booker, there was ample time to work out kinks that wasn’t there during the preseason. Even so, none of his three made shots — all dunks — came from Booker.

“Think I missed him on two or three lobs that some of the coaches told me and definitely something I’ll go look back and get used to,” Booker said postgame. “He’ll go up and get it. … Having a rim threat like that, somebody that can catch it, I have to reward him for that.”

Williams said it felt good for the pair to get their first crack at playing together in game, and he’s confident the more it happens, the better it will get.

Suns’ Jalen Green update

Jalen Green will not play in the back-to-back after he reaggravated a right hamstring injury earlier this month, Ott confirmed Thursday.

Green is expected to travel with the team, Ott said.

An update on Green’s timetable may come on the back end of the road trip, which finishes in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz on Monday.

Ott’s initial update pegged the game at the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday as when more information might come.

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