Having waited and learned, Collin Gillespie making most of time with Suns

**Collin Gillespie: A Journey of Patience, Perseverance, and Progress**

PHILADELPHIA — Collin Gillespie knows what it takes to wait for the right opportunity. He knew it back in high school, entering his senior year at Archbishop Wood virtually unheralded in the Catholic League, with offers mainly from Albany, Maine, and Holy Family. He knew it as a freshman at Villanova, watching from the sidelines for six weeks during December and January before returning to a team that went on to win the national championship in 2018. And he knew it as an NBA rookie, patiently rehabbing a broken leg that delayed the start of his professional career.

So, as the 26-year-old prepared to play his first NBA game in Philadelphia — more than three-and-a-half years after going undrafted in 2022 — the Huntingdon Valley native was comfortable with the path he’d taken and the places it had led him.

“I’ve learned a lot about the NBA game since being here with Denver,” Gillespie said from the Phoenix Suns locker room ahead of a 116-110 win over the 76ers. “I’ve gotten valuable experience on the court as well. So I think it’s just experience, being able to learn while being off the floor, while being on the floor, just a little bit of everything, trying to continue to get better every day.”

### Making the Most of the Moment

Gillespie has made the most of all that waiting, and he’s now making the most of the minutes he’s earned. He is averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists for the suddenly resurgent Suns. The 25th straight game he started against Philadelphia shows how solidly he has fit alongside the high-scoring Devin Booker.

In Tuesday’s game, Gillespie recorded 12 points on 3-for-6 shooting, along with four rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes. The night before, he scored 22 points in a win in Brooklyn as the Suns have gone 8-3 in January.

What’s impressive is how he’s translated flashes of potential — glimpsed during a 2023-24 campaign with Denver (where he traveled with the Nuggets for one game in Philly but did not play) and a 33-game stint last year — into sustained production, now averaging 28.1 minutes per night and looking every bit like an NBA regular.

### A Proven Winner at Every Level

Gillespie’s growth has never surprised those who have seen him adapt seamlessly as the level of competition has risen. During his Villanova career, he played 156 games and scored 1,858 points, averaging 15 or more points in the 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons. In his senior year, he shot an impressive 41.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Despite his college success, Gillespie went undrafted, leading him to the two-way contract route. He signed with the Denver Nuggets, but shortly after Summer League, he fractured his lower left leg during a workout at Villanova, ending his rookie season before it even began. The Nuggets went on to win the NBA title that year without him on the floor.

Instead, Gillespie learned by watching — just as he did in college when sidelined early on a championship team. “I think I learned a lot about the NBA game, the pace, the details, tendencies of certain guys,” he said. “There’s a lot that you could learn about the game, about yourself, about teammates, other teams, especially when you’re just sitting watching. I did it when I was in college when I got hurt, so I kind of have that experience of being able to do that.”

### Mental Fortitude and Competitiveness

While there have been questions about his size (6-foot-1), quickness, and defense, Gillespie’s makeup has never been in doubt. Kyle Lowry, the 76ers guard and Villanova alumnus, calls him a “winner.” Suns coach Jordan Ott echoes that sentiment, praising his “ultracompetitive” nature, his history of winning at every level, and his fearlessness.

Gillespie maximized his time on the Denver bench, then made the most of limited minutes with the Nuggets. Transitioning to the Suns as a two-way player, then a rotation member, and now a key piece of a playoff-contending team, he’s steadily grown.

Last season with the Nuggets, he averaged 3.6 points in 9.4 minutes across 24 games. With the Suns, he improved to 5.9 points in 14.0 minutes over 33 games—including nine starts—while posting 20 points per game in G League action. This year, Gillespie has been with the Suns full-time, contributing significantly to a team many thought to be rebuilding.

### Versatility & Skill Set

“I always go back to his ability to shoot off the dribble, which I think is an elite skill of his and something that’s needed in today’s game with so many pick-and-rolls and so many drives,” Coach Ott said. “He’s able to defend his position for his size. You cannot target him. He became super competitive to take those challenges, and now he just got the opportunity.”

Gillespie is proving that last year’s statistics were not just opportunism on a sub-.500 team. He posted 20.8 points per 100 possessions last year, and this season, with more talent around him demanding the ball, he’s up to 23.2 points per 100 possessions. His assists per 100 possessions remain steady at 8.4.

Defensively, Gillespie ranks eighth in the league with 1.4 steals per 48 minutes played, just behind the 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, who leads the league at 2.1 steals per game.

### Embracing the Professional Mindset

Gillespie credits his rapid improvement to his time at Villanova, where the team treated basketball “like it was our job in college, and now it is our job.” Many of his former Wildcats teammates now excelling in the NBA would vouch for that mentality.

Now fully adapting to the challenges presented in the NBA, Gillespie is flourishing.

“I think I know my role,” he said. “I play with really good players. I play with Book, and he has so much gravity on the floor. Jalen (Green) has an immense amount of gravity on the floor, able to put a ton of pressure on the rim. So just being able to play off those guys, I feel like I’m pretty good in terms of being able to find my role, whether I need to go out there and score, whether I need to go out there and find guys, get rebounds, kind of run the offense, or just contribute to winning in any way possible.”

Collin Gillespie’s journey has been a testament to patience, resilience, and hard work — qualities that continue to define his rising NBA career.
https://www.mcall.com/2026/01/21/having-waited-and-learned-collin-gillespie-making-most-of-time-with-suns/