3 Suns who have improved their standing in The Valley during preseason

The Phoenix Suns have almost completed preseason play, with a single meeting against the Los Angeles Lakers remaining. Luka Doncic will suit up for the first time in that contest - and although the Lakers will be without LeBron James through injury - it will be a worthwhile tune up to see if the Suns can slow down the Slovenian superstar.

Phoenix has already beaten the Lakers once in preseason action, while they also split an entertaining two-game series with the Brooklyn Nets in China. Head coach Jordan Ott has not been afraid to go to his bench in these contests, giving plenty of guys the opportunity to impress alongside franchise cornerstone, Devin Booker.

Three Suns have clearly grabbed their chance with both hands.

Although the Suns' starting lineup won't have clarity by the time opening night rolls around, the second unit is becoming more clear. Not only that, but some of the players who you would think would be battling it out for minutes off the bench, have instead shown that if Jalen Green or Mark Williams aren't ready to go when the action begins for real, they can step into their spots.

3. Collin Gillespie

There is no doubt that point guard Collin Gillespie was one of the few feel good stories in Phoenix last season. He was on a two-way contract for the campaign, but this season is back on a full-time deal as the backup floor general behind Booker. If you thought that meant he would take his foot off the gas and be more conservative in how he played however, you would already have been proven wrong.

Gillespie had 11 points off the bench in the overtime win against the Nets in Macau, posting the highest rating of the game at plus 15. He made a pair of 3-pointers, and really looked as comfortable as he ever has out there for the team. Whereas last season he got by largely on energy and effort alone - while that is certainly still evident in his play - there's more poise and control as well.

It would be a tall order to force his way into the starting five at any point this season, mostly because neither Booker or Green are going to come off the bench in his place and to start all three would make the Suns far too small. But with Jared Butler having also impressed in the spurts we've seen, simply holding down the backup spot the way he has means Gillespie will walk into 20 minutes easy.

2. Grayson Allen

We've already gone into a deeper dive on Grayson Allen that you can find here, but there is no doubt he deserves to be on this list. After a down year in The Valley last time out, the 30-year-old looks to have trimmed down on the insane muscular frame he had last season, and is already benefitting from it.

Allen has started in the place of Green while injured - and although that's not going to continue - his spot as the sixth man here looks all but assured. Why this is important is because last season Allen fell through the cracks, with Royce O'Neale the more popular choice in that sixth man role. Allen looks to have beaten him out, and knowing his spot in the rotation here should help him massively.

Expect him to go north of 40 percent from deep once more, while he can also start in any games that Green misses. His fit next to Booker the playmaker continues to look good, while defensively he's not quite as bad as he is often perceived to be. All of this might just make Allen the most likely trade candidate for the franchise down the road - but for now - he has proven his worth during preseason.

1. Oso Ighodaro

The Suns need one of their two sophomore prospects in Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro to show real improvement this season if their rebuild is to take the quickest route possible, and the latter has already been backed massively by coach Ott. With center Williams yet to suit up for the organization - and despite Ighodaro been thought of more as a power forward - he started at the five in Macau.

He put up 12 points in both contests - and although backup Nick Richards had 11 points in 16 minutes in the two point loss versus Brooklyn to close out the trip - it is clear the coaching staff like what they see with Ighodaro's athleticism. Although he gives up size to a lot of other centers in the league, Ighodaro has serious bounce and physicality which makes up for that shortcoming.

Contrast that with rookie big Khaman Maluach - who has a much more imposing figure - but who cannot move about in the paint in the same way Ighodaro can. It is unlikely Williams is ready to go for opening night - and although the Suns have a pair of bigs in Maluach and Richards who can plug that gap - the fact Ighodaro has been asked to do so is the strongest indicator yet of the belief in him.