After a rough season opener (which, to be fair, was a tough look for the Phoenix Suns generally), Collin Gillespie got back to himself in a game two win over the Golden State Warriors with 11 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and two steals off the bench. Games like this are more proof that Jordan Ott needs to consider mixing up a convoluted starting five that’s having trouble finding its footing.
Moving Gillespie into starting five making more and more sense for Suns
There are a multitude of reasons adding to the argument that Gillespie should be a starter in The Valley.
Devin Booker, who popped off for 43 points (a franchise record in a home opener) against Golden State, is at his best when the roster is constructed with a true point guard beside him.
Miles Bridges, acquired in a trade that sent Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick to Charlotte in the offseason, was likewise a better player with the Hornets while playing in lineups with point guard LaMelo Ball.
Jalen Green, like Booker, is a shooting guard who shouldn’t be tasked with the responsibilities of a floor general. His career assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.4, coupled with averaging more turnovers (2.5) than assists (2.0) through two games this season, is already enough evidence of that fact.
But ultimately, the Suns’ starting lineup, as things stand, is too crowded with scorers who need the ball in their hands to thrive. If Booker is going to follow through on his word to be more “selfish” as a scorer this season—evidenced by his 43-point outburst against the Warriors on 25 shot attempts—there may not be enough shot attempts to go around.
With Book, Dillon Brooks, and Bridges all needing to get into a rhythm, adding Gillespie to be more of a distributor in the starting unit could have wide-ranging, positive impacts.
In theory, that tweak would entail moving Green to the bench—a situation that’s been almost entirely foreign to him in his career. Green has logged 336 games as a starter in his career vs. just five as a reserve (all coming last season with Phoenix as he returned from injury).
His shooting percentages as a reserve (37.2 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from three) are considerably worse than his marks as a starter (42.2 percent from the field, 34 percent from three), but that could simply be tied to Green knocking off rust a season ago while trying to return from that ailing hamstring.
Suns must focus on ball movement to have success
In the season-opening, 41-point drubbing at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers, the Suns finished with a lowly 14 assists. In the win against Golden State Saturday night, that number ballooned to 33 assists, led by, guess who, Gillespie.
Gillespie again anchored the bench with Luke Kennard (11 points and four rebounds), Jordan Goodwin (nine points, four assists, and three steals), and Ryan Dunn (five points, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal). The bench unit, which earned praise from trade acquisition Miles Bridges ahead of the new season, clutched up to help secure a win against a heavily depleted Warriors squad.
The Suns, like most teams, are at their best when the ball is humming around on offense to find open looks. Gillespie provides significantly more of that when compared with Green.
If Gillespie is getting big minutes off the bench, it may not ultimately matter whether he’s the starter or not, but the Suns’ coaching staff has to figure out how to maximize Green and Bridges if this version of the roster is going to repeat last year’s success.
Add us as a preferred source on Google