The Phoenix Suns have been rewarded for their resourcefulness in filling the back end of their roster.
It turns out, the Collin Gillespie signing was a home run. He spent brief time in the G League a season
ago, patiently waiting behind guards he shouldn’t have been buried behind on the depth chart in the first place. In year two, he has taken advantage of his opportunity and then some.
Then, you have Jordan Goodwin. A waiver claim win. He was shipped out a couple of years back when the Suns cleared house of some of the one-year rentals they took fliers on.
Like Gillespie, Goodwin has taken his opportunity and run with it to quickly become a staple in the Suns’ rotation after the Lakers let him go. Phoenix can send a thank-you card to Los Angeles for waiving him.
Together, that duo (Gillespie & Goodwin) is making an impact when they share the court with one another.
They have a plus-11.3 net rating in 479 possessions so far this season.
BOUYEA!
It may be too early for a victory lap on Jamaree Bouyea, but in what we’ve seen during his brief time here, he’s been a hit. It’s tough to ask for more from someone you take a two-way flier on.
We were all collectively like “uhh, what?” when Ott checked him into the game early in his first career game for the Phoenix Suns, but he quickly looked like a genius for the move. Each game, he seems to grow more and more confident in his role.
Bouyea scored a career-high 18 points in 18 minutes in Friday’s loss to Houston. He should continue to get an opportunity off the bench as long as Devin Booker and Jalen Green are sidelined.
Bouyea possesses a high level of multi-level scoring and ball-handling with plus burst and athleticism. Despite being undersized, he competes defensively and is not afraid to mix it up against bigger wings. Currently on a two-way contract, Bouyea is making a real case for a full-time roster spot. Another hungry, tough dude with something to prove.
Chip on the Shoulder
Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Jamaree Bouyea were all overlooked by their previous teams, and the Suns saw something in them. Proving someone wrong is the best motivation. Not everyone gets that opportunity in this cutthroat league. These guys have, and it’s why the Suns are who they are early on from an identity standpoint.
These three in the picture below tell it all. All different situations, but they have come together to provide meaningful, impactful minutes and help change the culture in Phoenix.
That fuel has revamped the Suns’ guard rotation that we didn’t think would need this much help this early. Jalen Green’s hamstring issue, combined with Grayson Allen’s never-ending bruise, then illness, and now Devin Booker’s groin injury… the injury bug has hit Phoenix hard in the guard department.
Phoenix’s duo of Devin Booker and Jalen Green is needed desperately in the grand scheme of things, but it is refreshing to have a guard unit as deep as this Suns team is. Grayson Allen, along with the aforementioned trio, has been a steadying force in a shaky, injury-filled season for the Suns.
Jordan Ott and company have repeated the “next man up” mantra, and while it’s generally a common and overused phrase in sports, they’ve backed that talk up.
