Showing little emotion, win or lose, Collin Gillespie gets it. He understands that the Phoenix Suns have no real expectations this year, that wins or losses might not matter to owner Mat Ishbia. But they do matter to Suns fans, whose expectations are simple: “Yes, let’s pull off a victory against a Jazz team we should beat.”
You can see it in Gillespie’s weary eyes during every dead ball; he’s already made a name for himself here in the Valley. Maybe not yet around the NBA, but when it comes to minutes
played and all-out effort, he stands apart. It is the effort that matches Deandre Ayton, when Lakers teammates bribed him with candy and video games before a big game to get him to play hard. The Suns need to start turning Gillespie’s hustle into wins, or the poor guy might lose his mind.
After playing nearly 32 minutes against the Utah Jazz on Monday night, Gillespie isn’t one for words after the overtime game ended with a loss. “To get out there and play and compete, but the goal and the objective is to win,” he said after Monday’s loss. “I’m pretty pissed off we didn’t win.”
Wanting the win badly, you could tell that even with 15 points, 13 assists, and three steals, it still wasn’t enough for Collin Gillespie. He felt like he could have done more, but how could he, when he left everything he had on the floor Monday night? Maybe the only thing left for him to do is start the game.
Suns’ guard Jalen Green is looking to make his return this week if he stays on track with his workouts, but should Green start? Jordan Ott has tempered the insertion of Mark Williams, so why not Jalen Green? After all, Gillespie is right there and capable.
The best course of action might be to start Gillespie and see if he is truly a diamond in the rough. Based on his attitude and the big-time plays he makes throughout the game, Gillespie is already emerging as the kind of leader the Suns need at the point guard position, a spot many thought was not necessary years ago when people believed wins could be manufactured through pure talent alone.
Gillespie has both the skill and the vision to help this team claw its way back to .500 in the standings. Through four games, he is averaging 24.3 minutes, 10.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals. This is production that does not just show up on a stat sheet but translates into energy, effort, and accountability every time he is on the floor.
If I am Suns coach Jordan Ott, I am pulling the trigger and starting Gillespie before this season slips away. To a lot of people and media personalities, the Suns already look like a mess, but a surprising rebirth after a 1-3 start, led by Gillespie’s grit and leadership, is staring Ott right in the face. All it takes is a little trust in the guy who has been doing all the little things right while the rest of the roster figures itself out.
