Return of Jalen Green a disaster for Suns' breakout star

There is no doubt that Collin Gillespie is one of the most popular players with the Phoenix Suns' fanbase. How can you not love a former two-way player who gives his all each night and has shades of Steve Nash to his game?

We voted him our first-quarter MVP for the season, such was the impact the point guard had on this roster, both off the bench and then as a starter.

Return of Jalen Green will hurt development of Gillespie

But with Jalen Green set to return after a long injury layoff, it is Gillespie who looks like he is going to suffer the most personally to make room for an elite scorer former of the Houston Rockets.

The 26-year-old has started 23-of-42 games played for the franchise this season, the perfect floor general for head coach Jordan Ott both because of his ability to run possessions, but also defer to Devin Booker when required.

We've already gone microscopic on the impact he can have on the court across several minutes that leads to victories for Phoenix, and that progress will surely be derailed by Green's return.

Somebody is going to have to go to the bench to make room for Green, and we've already seen Grayson Allen struggle when that has happened to him in the past.

Allen is also the better defender than Gillespie not because he's smarter or more willing to do it. He's simply a bigger body who also has the level of athleticism required to stick with wing scorers.

Gillespie can certainly do that and holds his own when opponents switch onto him, but that is not a viable long-term strategy when you're trying to win games, especially in the playoffs.

This doesn't have to be all bad though, and we've already seen Gillespie have a positive impact from the bench earlier in the season.

Having the kind of depth where a player of the calibre of Gillespie, who is unsurprisingly posting career highs across the board, is exactly how you go from a fun and frisky team to a contender.

But he has also proven he can be a starter for a team that wins games and is competitive. He's trying to get paid this offseason as well, and all that time spent as a starter on a franchise that was getting some national attention for how hard they play was massively helping his cause.

Again this could work in the Suns' favor. Less time as a starter could strengthen their own position on the kind of contract they will offer him, so as to have money to improve other areas.

But it remains a shame that for all of the good Gillespie has done in Phoenix this season, he is the player who will have to sacrifice their role and some minutes in order to get Green involved here.