The Phoenix Suns have had a rocky start to the season, but that took a terrible turn on Thursday with news from NBA Insider Chris Haynes that the locker room in The Valley is getting frustrated with the fact that the roster does not have a point guard who can organize the offense. Only they have exactly that player in Collin Gillespie waiting to be used more, so why aren't they?
Gillespie must be given opportunity to start with Devin Booker
The former Denver Nugget might not be the quick fix to all of the Suns' early season issues, but the time has come to insert him into the starting lineup in place of Jalen Green. It is unclear if Devin Booker is the player who leaked to the media that the lack of a floor general among the starters is hurting this group, but if he was involved at all, the franchise should be terrified.
He has never been one to speak out against the Suns publicly, and if they want him to stick around and remain engaged, they need to get him a true point guard. Gillespie is the best option available to them right now, and having brought him back on a four-year, $48 million contract this offseason, the organization clearly believes in his abilities. Perhaps that is as the sixth man, but they need Gillespie to try to help them out of this tight spot.
Interesting names such as Lonzo Ball are going to be floated, but the Suns are stuck with the roster that they have for the time being. Gillespie can bridge the gap between this dark period and a brighter future, before going back to the role the coaching staff likely envisioned for him coming off the bench.
The advantages of having Gillespie on the court more with Booker in the immediate future are obvious; it would allow the franchise cornerstone to get back to doing what he does best. Scoring at an elite level while Gillespie worries about feeding his teammates at their preferred spots.
Suns have nothing to lose by going in different direction
Despite only playing three games to this point, it is clear the Suns cannot continue on this path. The duo of Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges has not worked so far, while losing Oso Ighodaro to injury was far from ideal. Gillespie brings with him his own problems; his inability to guard bigger opponents is the most worrying, but the Suns no longer have a choice here.
They need to accept that ever since they let Chris Paul go, they have failed Booker by not giving him another starting-calibre point guard. Gillespie is not quite that, but he is also the best option available to a team that is supposed to be winning a playoff series in 2027. We are currently a long, long way from that being the case.
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