The Suns have been one of the NBA’s biggest pleasant surprises so far this season. They’ve stayed steadily competitive in the Western Conference gauntlet, maintaining a winning record despite being significantly less talented than many of their opponents. First-time head coach Jordan Ott has turned Devin Booker and his band of role players into a well-oiled trap game machine by extracting value out of guys other organizations gave up on. Phoenix pulled the backcourt duo of Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin off the NBA’s scrap heap, and now those two are showing they’re the definition of difference-makers.
Gillespie went undrafted out of Villanova in 2022. He signed a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets as a free agent, but he missed his entire rookie year while recovering from a lower leg fracture. The former NCAA star finally touched an NBA floor in 2023-24, and he played some solid spot minutes, but it wasn’t enough for Denver to keep him around. Phoenix scooped him up on a new two-way contract in the 2024 offseason, and that’s been an incredible investment up to this point.
During the 2024-25 season, Gillespie slowly crept his way further and further up the depth chart before he eventually became a starter. He outperformed established vet Tyus Jones, looking like a viable rotation piece. His numbers (5.9 points and 2.4 assists per game, 43.3% from three on low volume) weren’t gaudy, but the young guard’s play just screamed “professional” night in and night out. Gillespie proved he belonged last year, setting the stage for the breakout he’s currently enjoying.
This year, he’s averaging career-highs in almost every category. In 26.4 minutes a game, he’s posting 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 42.9% from deep on 6.7 attempts. Gillespie has been one of Phoenix’s top offensive players, and he’s also become one of the best shooters in all of basketball. He ranks in the 97th percentile in BBall Index’s 3PT shooting talent metric. It doesn’t matter if it’s an open catch-and-shoot, a tough pull-up or a veering movement look, the little guard is comfortable and confident letting it fly, and odds are it’s going in when he does. His shots certainly always look like they’re going to fall— he has a beautifully quick and repeatable stroke. Early in the season, it felt like Gillespie would eventually come back down to earth, but it’s gotten to the point where this isn’t a heater anymore. The dude is just this good.
Gillespie complements his shooting with phenomenal decision-making. He’s the ultimate dependable presence on the court. When the ball’s in his hands, coaches can relax knowing he’s going to make the right play. While the Pennsylvania native’s innate feel for the game mostly shows up in his connective passing, he does occasionally get the chance to show what he can do off the dribble. He’s a sharp drive-and-kick dimer, placing in the 86th percentile in drive assist rate according to BBall Index. He can also work his way to his spots and score inside, which is exactly what he did for this game-winning floater against Minnesota.
Phoenix’s offense is centered around high usage for Devin Booker (and probably Jalen Green when he returns), which makes Gillespie the ideal point guard for them. He shines off the ball, torching teams who gap too heavily against Booker, but he can also step up and create plays for himself and others. Gillespie’s offensive excellence, competitive spirit and ability to rise to the moment have quickly made him a core piece of this Suns squad.
Gillespie brings both a fiery and an icy element to the table, which makes Jordan Goodwin the wind and earth. Goodwin is a dirty work employee of the month who moves mountains in the blind eye of the public. The 27-year-old has bounced around a few teams since entering the league as a 23-year-old undrafted rookie back in 2021-22. This is actually his second stint with Phoenix. He originally broke through as a real contributor in 2022-23, forcing his way into Washington’s rotation, but was never able to find a home— until now.
The Suns have built a formidable defense, which has played a major role in their success thus far. They fluster ball handlers and hunt turnovers, beating teams by conquering the possession battle. At the heart of their swarm is Goodwin, one of the sport’s elite steals guys and most underrated perimeter stoppers. He’s a witty pick pocket with twitchy feet and a nonstop motor who sticks to his man like a kid to his mom in an unfamiliar crowd. Intense ball pressure is the latest winning formula fad across the league. Players who can pick up full court and rack up takeaways are in high demand, and Phoenix has secured themselves one of the best in the biz in that department. Goodwin leads the league in total fourth quarter steals this season.
Another way Goodwin gives his team extra chances is by crashing the glass. He’s an unbelievable rebounder for a 6’3” dude. He’s a 99th percentile offensive rebounder according to BBall Index, and his 1.9 o-boards per game ranks second on the Suns. The Saint Louis product’s offensive game is generally limited, but like Gillespie, he’s a low-mistake player, and he’s also having the best shooting year of his career. He’s hitting 36.1% of his threes on 3.4 attempts a game, including 37.5% from the corners. Those are average numbers, but enough to keep defenses honest.
In Gillespie and Goodwin, Phoenix has found themselves their own version of Houston’s “Terror Twins” (Amen Thompson and Tari Eason). The two undrafted guards shift the landscape of games when they check in off the bench, and they’re also altering the direction of the Suns organization entirely. The pair has been instrumental in putting the team in a position most didn’t see them being in this year. Every cliché about being a star in your role or being a winning player applies to Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, and they deserve a lot more national recognition.
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