Opening night for the Phoenix Suns was not good. A 41-point loss at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers was the outcome, and not even Devin Booker attempting to put a positive spin on things could cheer the fanbase up after enduring that horror show. The whole team was poor, but Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin picked a terrible time, after both were brought back on new contracts this offseason, no less, to turn in nothing performances.
Suns need much more from two of their top eight players to win games
Gillespie was supposed to be the sixth man in waiting in Phoenix after signing a four-year, $48 million deal over the summer. Especially with Luke Kennard forced to miss the game with a knee issue. Instead, he dropped a dreadful 0-for-8 performance from the field, finishing scoreless in 21 minutes of action. His four steals did lead the team, but only two assists en route to a -16 on the night are not acceptable.
The Suns continue to try to make Booker play as the point guard for this group, even if Jalen Green tries to initiate the offense from time to time. Many have suggested Gillespie would work better with the starters, but based on this performance, he won't be getting that opportunity any time soon. The fact that he has struggled for form going back to the playoffs last season is also a concern.
Goodwin was not much better, playing 22 minutes and finishing with a paltry three points. To give him some credit, he chipped in with four rebounds, two fewer than center Khaman Maluach, who led the Suns, but it was immediate proof that rebounding is going to be a massive issue for this group.
We had put forward the idea during preseason that Head Coach Jordan Ott was relying too much on reserve guard Jamaree Bouyea, but on the evidence of what we saw from Gillespie and Goodwin, it is hard to blame him.
Lack of size hurting impact of backup guards for Suns
It was apparent from the jump that outside of Maluach, the other four starters for the Suns were all of similar height. This can work well if they can switch seamlessly on the defensive end and are all borderline elite in that area, but that is not true for any of the four except for Dillon Brooks. Gillespie in particular is at his best when he's got bigger teammates surrounding him.
Goodwin is probably the best defender after Brooks, and he can coexist well with whoever he is out there with, but if those around him are not scoring, it can take away from his own abilities. Surely the only way is up for the Suns, but in order for that to happen, both Gillespie and Goodwin need to shake out of their slumps quickly.
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