Fresh off a lucrative extension, the rising guard blocks out low expectations and power rankings as Phoenix leans on gritty chemistry and youth to defy the skeptics again.
It's a tough ask to discuss the Phoenix Suns without bringing up rising star Collin Gillespie these days.
Gillespie has evolved from a two-way flyer into a legitimate net positive on the court over the last two seasons, and he is now fully immersed in the future of the franchise after signing a four-year, $48 million contract this offseason.
The Suns are continuing to receive
Gillespie gave one of his many soundbites on the PHNX Suns podcast earlier last week on the expectations (or lack thereof) that the team is facing.
The former undrafted guard spoke on his relative lack of care surrounding Phoenix being consistently slotted in the 20's in various power rankings - even claiming that he has yet to see any of them.
This is absolutely the right mindset, as Phoenix went into the 2025-26 season facing rock-bottom expectations. The Suns were expected to struggle reaching 30 wins, but the gritty nature and connectivity that the team put on display won out in the end. This resulted in a 45-win campaign and a playoff appearance for the Suns.
Now, Phoenix is receiving much of the same skepticism. The Suns are routinely projecting to be a fringe playoff squad yet again, as well as a candidate to take a step back in win total.
Much of this has to do with the Suns parting ways with three-point extraordinaries in Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale, as well as questions surrounding Phoenix's center depth and the potential fit of 2018 lottery pick Miles Bridges in the rotation.
Ultimately, it seems as if Phoenix's fate is projecting to be a faux simile in comparison to 2025-26. This isn't exactly what Suns fans desire to hear heading into training camp, but the general mindset within the Phoenix seems to be that the outside noise is inconsequential.
Things that can't be measured for the upcoming Phoenix team include an exceptional coaching staff that is taking shape under the tutelage of head coach Jordan Ott. This ties perfectly into the organization putting much faith into rising stars such as former top-10 draft pick Khaman Maluach and the promising three-and-d specialist in Rasheer Fleming.
Phoenix's blend of battle-tested, productive veterans and intriguing players under 25 seems to bode well for the team exceeding the 45-win benchmark set a season ago.
Phoenix is opening up preseason play on October 5, before entering regular season play against the Portland Trail Blazers on August 21.
