{"id":675106,"date":"2026-03-23T20:09:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T20:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/675106\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T20:09:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T20:09:25","slug":"he-could-be-the-next-steve-nash-fans-rally-behind-collin-gillespies-growing-role-with-the-suns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/675106\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018He could be the next Steve Nash\u2019: Fans rally behind Collin Gillespie\u2019s growing role with the Suns"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIX \u2014 Collin Gillespie\u2019s 2025-26 season is drawing more attention, and many Phoenix Suns fans believe it\u2019s long overdue.<\/p>\n

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Dec 31, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) shoots a three point shot over Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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A recent wave of discussion has centered on a simple question: Is Gillespie the most underrated player on the roster this season? In nearly unanimous fashion, the answer from Suns supporters is a resounding yes.<\/p>\n

Gillespie has carved out a larger role through steady production and efficiency. He\u2019s just nine three-pointers away from breaking Phoenix\u2019s single-season franchise record \u2014 a milestone that underscores his growing offensive impact. Contributing primarily as a secondary ball handler, defender, and rebounder, fans note that his size doesn\u2019t prevent him from playing at an elite level. In fact, as Craig Sacks writes, \u201cdoes a lot of little things that add up.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Nov 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) celebrates a three point shot as Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch reacts in the first half of an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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Fans consistently point to his basketball IQ and effort, highlighting his ability to make smart plays and grind on the court every opportunity he gets. Others have gone further, suggesting his development could resemble that of a Phoenix Suns legend and Hall of Famer \u2014 a big comparison that reflects excitement about his progress and style of play.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe could be [the] next Steve Nash,\u201d Thuan T Hoang writes.<\/p>\n

Of course, the praise doesn\u2019t come without some criticism. Some fans say Gillespie must improve his consistency, particularly as the Suns approach the critical stretch of the season. During three of the club\u2019s recent six-game road trip earlier this month, the guard struggled, scoring in single digits.<\/p>\n

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Nov 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) celebrates with teammates after hitting the game winning shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half of an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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\u201cNeed him to show up down this come stretch, so far he\u2019s been on and off,\u201d Ron Cabreros writes.<\/p>\n

\u201cCollin is a great player,\u201d Gerrie Ramirez also writes. \u201cHe gets off his game every now and then, but so does everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Gillespie has regained his form, scoring in double digits in each of his last four games. With fans praising his knowledge of the game and his hard work \u2014 and with comparisons to one of the best to ever wear a Suns uniform \u2014 Gillespie\u2019s impact isn\u2019t being forgotten. So much so that some fans are urging the team to ensure he remains in the Valley long term, emphasizing his value as a contributor and a developing piece.<\/p>\n

As Gillespie continues to push the Suns toward a playoff spot while chasing franchise history, the term \u201cunderrated\u201d may not apply to him much longer.<\/p>\n

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*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PHOENIX \u2014 Collin Gillespie\u2019s 2025-26 season is drawing more attention, and many Phoenix Suns fans believe it\u2019s long…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":675107,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3791],"tags":[382,7,193,4216,864,4164,32713,152,56639,6,2065,472,4045,2543,604,6445,3209],"class_list":["post-675106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-phoenix-suns","tag-arizona","tag-basketball","tag-cleveland-cavaliers","tag-collin-gillespie","tag-donovan-mitchell","tag-mandatory-credit","tag-mark-j-rebilas-imagn","tag-minnesota-timberwolves","tag-mortgage-matchup-center","tag-nba","tag-phoenix","tag-phoenix-suns","tag-phoenixsuns","tag-steve-nash","tag-suns","tag-the-suns","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116280308046098329","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/675106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=675106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/675106\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/675107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=675106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=675106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=675106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}