Showing little emotion, win or lose, Collin Gillespie understands. He understands that the Phoenix Suns have no real expectations this year and that wins or losses might not matter to owner Mat Ishbia. But they matter to Suns fans, whose expectations are simple: “Yes, let’s get a win against a Jazz team we should beat.” »
You can see it in Gillespie’s tired eyes with every dead ball; he’s already made a name for himself here in the Valley. Maybe not in the NBA yet, but when it comes to minutes played and effort put in, he stands out. It’s the effort that matches Deandre Ayton, when his Lakers teammates bribed him with candy and video games before a big game to make him 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 to talk after the overtime game ended in a loss. “You have to go out and play and compete, but the goal and the objective is to win,” he said after Monday’s loss. “I’m pretty upset we didn’t win.”
Really wanting to win, 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 had left everything he had on the floor Monday night? Maybe all he has to do now is start the game.
Suns guard Jalen Green looks to make his return this week if he stays on track with his workouts, but should Green start? Jordan Ott tempered the insertion of Mark Williams, so why not Jalen Green? After all, Gillespie is there and capable.
The best solution might be to start Gillespie and see if he really is a diamond in the rough. With his attitude and the big plays he makes throughout the game, Gillespie is already emerging as the kind of leader the Suns need at the point guard position, a position many thought wasn’t necessary years ago when people thought wins could be achieved through pure talent alone.
Gillespie has both the skills and vision to help this team get back to .500 in the standings. In four games, he is averaging 24.3 minutes, 10.3 points, 5.8 assists and 1.3 steals. This is production that doesn’t just show up on a stat sheet but translates into energy, effort and responsibility every time he’s on the field.
If I’m Suns coach Jordan Ott, I’ll pull the trigger and start Gillespie before this season is over. To many people and media figures, the Suns already look like a disaster, but a surprising renaissance after a 1-3 start, led by the courage and leadership of Gillespie, is staring Ott in the face. All it takes is a little faith in the guy who did all the little things right while the rest of the roster figures itself out.
