Collin Gillespie Shootaround Media Availability | Phoenix Suns
Colin, first half you had obviously 12 points in the last game maybe for you. How much are you seizing those moments? Okay, this is needed. Uh I can deliver that and then and then following through. Yeah. Um just trying to pick my spots obviously. Um Book was making the right decisions. He was on the ball a little bit more. So just trying to catch and shoot opportunities. Um, and then just taking what the what the defense was given. So, got to put put a full game together here. Uh, shot well in the first half, but I make no shots the second half, but just try to do other things to affect winning. How are you, you know, weighing the whole idea on penetration and pitch out and then looking for your balance? Just reading the defense. uh seeing what they’re giving us. Um it really depends on personnel, but they’re sometimes they’re in drops, sometimes they’re up the level, sometimes you just got to get off it early, uh get it in the pocket and let the big guys make a play. Um but if they’re down the floor, I’m confident in my ability to shoot and coming off and trying to to make shots. But just reading the defense, taking what they’re giving us. Say you’re right. Called that emotional IQ at one point. Who? Coach, right? Yeah. given given the team what it needs when it needs it. Is that something that’s always kind of that you pride yourself on? How did you develop that? Uh yeah, probably at Villanova. I think I’ve always been a little bit like that. Um but definitely learning that at Villanova. Um was something that was big for me just in terms of like feeling the game out. um taking what the defense has given me, but also knowing like when it’s time to get shots, when when it’s time to like get other guys shots, keep everybody in a rhythm, uh make sure everybody’s feeling the basketball a little bit. Just as a point guard, that’s kind of natural for me just to keep everybody engaged because you you know how it gets in basketball where guys don’t touch the ball for a little while, kind of get disengaged. So, uh just trying to get everybody involved still, keep everybody into the game. What was it like going up against You probably answered this. Going up against Jaylen Brunson, your freshman. Uh what was it like? Yeah. Just what did you learn from that experience? Uh I mean I learned a lot obviously. Uh he’s my roommate. Um my freshman summer. Uh somebody I’m still very close with that I talk to a lot. So uh he’s like a bigger brother to me. Um but yeah, I mean I learned a ton from him. Just mental side of the game, how to approach every day. um all the little things that go into to winning and taking care of your body, all that stuff. So, I learned a ton from him. Colin, there was a u there was a play in the Clippers game where uh I think y’all kind of getting into the ball. You on the second side with with Grayson and you kind of beat the pass on the skip to the corner on the X out and then cut off the baseline. when you guys are getting into the ball like that with your picking rolls, how like that anticipation of that pass out of that, how does that help you on Saturday? Yeah, I mean it helps us a lot um more when we’re on a string together is important uh for us and it helps us out defensively. So, um, just knowing when to go, being able to communicate and talk to each other when, uh, we’re good to stay, when we should go, uh, and just being overcommunicative on in terms of like if we’re going to go, if we’re if we’re if we’re not, if we’re going to stay. So, uh, it’s really important for us. And then just being solid on the defensive end, um, creating long twos, contested twos, uh, and then finishing the possession with a rebound. But, yeah, it’s something that we work on every day. So, uh, just trying to drill home those habits. How have you seen the amount of close outs that the offense is able to generate? Just really kind of give you all a solve when everything maybe hit a ruck or if you’re on the court without Booker or Jaylen and things like that. Yeah, I mean, it’s huge for us. Obviously, we have guys that can uh dribble drive and uh obviously get two feet in the paint and look to spray from there, but uh it’s kind of the identity of our offense playing four out, one in. uh just mixing up a lot of different actions. We could play pick and roll. We could play ghost action. Um and just going from there, but uh we have normally four or five guys on the court that can make a play. Um so yeah, just kind of playing free. Coach Coach uh gives us that ability uh which is huge. But yeah, just reading the defense, seeing what they’re giving us and trying to create some confusion out there. What do you like about that connection with Nick, you know, been a frequent pick and a real partner for you off the bench? Yeah, I mean he’s a big body. He’s a big presence. Puts pressure on the rim. Um he’s able to go get it up at the rim. Um and then he’s good finisher. He’s got good hands, too, so you can hit him in the pocket. Um and he’s been making good decisions when he gets it there. Obviously, we have the the cut slide and he’s been able to find guys. So, uh that’s been good for us. And the way you guys are sharing the ball right now, I think you’re top eight maybe in like assist rate. So, it probably reminds you a lot of like playing in that Denver offense. Probably different because you’re not playing with a hub like Jokicage, but it’s got booked in the facility. So, just how fun is that playing with this this this offense? Yeah, I mean it’s a lot of fun. Um I want to you want to see your teammates win. You want to see guys have success? Um and obviously Book is the head of the snake and he’s been making great decisions with the basketball being aggressive to score. Um and then once he’s aggressive to score, everything else opens up. So, um just continue to drill home. Um he’s obviously always going to be aggressive and then other guys got to be be ready to make plays off the ball. Um, and then once we have the ball in our hands, um, be aggressive as well, give him kind of a break. So, um, just continue to feel it out, learn each other, learn the system, and, uh, continue to get better with it. You feel like you guys are still learning how to play with each other. It’s a young team. Yeah, I mean, for sure. I think we have a lot new guys, uh, new system, new coaches. So, I think every day is just trying to get a little bit better, learn each other a little bit more. I think we’re in a good spot because of how many guys were here in the summertime and how often everybody was around, but um I think what we 10 games in, there’s always room to grow and I think that’s kind of been the mindset of the team just to get a little bit better each day, continue to grow as much as we can. You feel like on the offensive side with you kind of rising up and scouting, playing more mainstream minutes, you feel like you’ve seen defenses shift and how to guard you, especially in picking ro. Um, I think every team has their own identity. Uh, but I’m not a guy that probably like just wasn’t on the Sky Report because probably last year towards the end of the year I was probably just like I’ll just be ready. This guy could be in probably just catch and shoot guy. Um, so I think the more film there is the more people will know more about me. But um, I treat everything the same. Just read the defense for what it is. Um, and then pick spots where just making the right play. Um, but I really don’t look too much into that. Uh, if that happens, then we’ll be ready for it and I’ll be ready for it in terms of scouting it and and seeing it live. So, but nothing right now, I don’t think. Thanks, Colin. Appreciate you,
Collin Gillespie speaks with media following shootaround on November 10, 2025.
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