The Collin Gillespie Bandwagon Thread

Hoop Head

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I think that’s going a bit far, but you are certainly are entitled to your opinion. I never saw how JJ functioned day to day in the office.

There was a bad vibe here team wise with Sarver. And JJ overvalued players like himself—journeyman, midsized wing, older vet, often one-dimensional.

Stix over Halliburton was unforgivable.

I can't find the quote right now but I'm pretty sure it was the same article/interview where he said he didn't like the draft that he said he didn't view being a GM as a 24/7 job. The guy lucked into being here as Devin Booker ascended from KU 6th man to the best SG in the league. Booker is why CP3, Monty, KD, and Beal wanted to be here.
 

Mainstreet

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James Jones was a terrible GM. I think there's little argument there now. I understand blaming Sarver and Ishbia for certain things but JJ was in over his head and chased names rather than building a team. He didn't even step up and fix issues between Monty and players. That was what he was originally hired to do as well, help create an atmosphere where player relations were top notch.

I will give James Jones credit for assembling the Suns team built around the Finals season. However, it ends when they passed on drafting Haliburton. Then it got ridiculous with the ensuing trades for Durant and Beal.

The point about McDonough, he wasn't a good GM for the Suns but it might have all become background noise if he had been allowed to trade for Shai in the 2018 draft. Booker and Shai could have been a lethal combination.
 

Mainstreet

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Instead, we drafted Mikal, which was also a good choice. Cam Johnson was a good draft choice. All kinds of dominoes have dropped since then.

James Jones had a hard time finding a coach and he loved finding journeyman vets. But those vets often seemed like they were just cashing checks.

I have high hopes for Ishbia. He had a Learning curve. It’s just hard to build with young players when you have no picks. Ott seems to be the find of the century. We need to keep that guy.

As much as I liked Mikal, Shai is on a whole different level. A good point guard has traditionally been a difference maker for the Suns.
 

Hoop Head

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I will give James Jones credit for assembling the Suns team built around the Finals season. However, it ends when they passed on drafting Haliburton. Then it got ridiculous with the ensuing trades for Durant and Beal.

The point about McDonough, he wasn't a good GM for the Suns but it might have all become background noise if he had been allowed to trade for Shai in the 2018 draft. Booker and Shai could have been a lethal combination.

I remember being on high on Shai but I never saw him reaching what level he has. He was the smart choice at #10. I love Mikal and am grateful we had him when we did, will always root for his success, but Shai filled a need and should have been the play. At the same time I don't think CP3 gets enough credit for the year he took SGA under his wing in OKC before Paul came to Phoenix.
 

Mainstreet

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I remember being on high on Shai but I never saw him reaching what level he has. He was the smart choice at #10. I love Mikal and am grateful we had him when we did, will always root for his success, but Shai filled a need and should have been the play. At the same time I don't think CP3 gets enough credit for the year he took SGA under his wing in OKC before Paul came to Phoenix.

No one could predict how good Shai could become. The same with Fox and Haliburton. However, it was probable they would be good... really good.

Passing on them when point guard was a need, even when Chris Paul was added to the team, was a terrible mistake.
 

JCSunsfan

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No one could predict how good Shai could become. The same with Fox and Haliburton. However, it was probable they would be good... really good.

Passing on them when point guard was a need, even when Chris Paul was added to the team, was a terrible mistake.
I remember in that draft wanting Shai, but I also wanted Bridges.

With later picks I wanted Shamet and Shake Milton. Btw. Landry Shamet seems to be finding his place in this league.
 

Mainstreet

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I remember in that draft wanting Shai, but I also wanted Bridges.

With later picks I wanted Shamet and Shake Milton. Btw. Landry Shamet seems to be finding his place in this league.

Mikal Bridges was an excellent draft pick, but when talent equals need, I think you have to fill the need.

The Suns traded a first round draft pick for Shamet who could have become Miles McBride if the Suns had kept the pick.

Now the Knicks have both.
 

JCSunsfan

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As much as I liked Mikal, Shai is on a whole different level. A good point guard has traditionally been a difference maker for the Suns.
The key to the draft is consistently making good picks. Making great picks is mostly luck. Shai’s ascension was not predictable. However, we needed a pg and if he played point on the same level Mikal plays wing, Shai would have still been a better pick. I don’t blame JJ much for taking Mikal over Shai:

The problem was taking Stix over Hali. We ALL knew it at the time.
 

JCSunsfan

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Mikal Bridges was an excellent draft pick, but when talent equals need, I think you have to fill the need.

The Suns traded a first round draft pick for Shamet who could have become Miles McBride if the Suns had kept the pick.

Now the Knicks have both.
Sorry. Ditto.

Jj undervalued late first round picks.
 

Covert Rain

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I love this guy but he has had some ball handling issues as of late (getting the ball stolen from him) or having trouble when someone pressures him. Then he quickly gives it up. Then he turns around and has a brilliant drive two play later. What gives?

EJ mentioned on the broadcast he has been having some back tightness issues as of late. I wonder if that is what we are seeing sometimes?
 

BooksOrangePlanet

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I love this guy but he has had some ball handling issues as of late (getting the ball stolen from him) or having trouble when someone pressures him. Then he quickly gives it up. Then he turns around and has a brilliant drive two play later. What gives?

EJ mentioned on the broadcast he has been having some back tightness issues as of late. I wonder if that is what we are seeing sometimes?
back issues complicated by extended minutes due to grayson being out - it's why we went and got ye
 

Cheesebeef

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I love this guy but he has had some ball handling issues as of late (getting the ball stolen from him) or having trouble when someone pressures him. Then he quickly gives it up. Then he turns around and has a brilliant drive two play later. What gives?

EJ mentioned on the broadcast he has been having some back tightness issues as of late. I wonder if that is what we are seeing sometimes?
He’s also still pretty young and just getting his first real run under pressure. He’s got a lot of room to grow, IMO.
 

TJ

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With the limited number of draft picks that we have, we need as many Collin Gillespie types to come out of nowhere as we can get. That’s really the only way we can get back to being a contender in the near future
 

TJ

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Speaking of which:

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This is what OKC has been setting itself up for since the Paul George trade. Having so many high-end picks that it’s near impossible to flame out and to consistently build a winner
 

AzStevenCal

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With the limited number of draft picks that we have, we need as many Collin Gillespie types to come out of nowhere as we can get. That’s really the only way we can get back to being a contender in the near future
Yeah. We have to hit a long shot or two. Every team has to get lucky, we just have to get a little luckier than the rest.
 

Mainstreet

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With the limited number of draft picks that we have, we need as many Collin Gillespie types to come out of nowhere as we can get. That’s really the only way we can get back to being a contender in the near future

Unfortunately it took the Suns two seasons to recognize this and then, they only signed him to a one year contract.

Mat Ishbia needs the best scouts in the business looking for diamonds in the rough.
 

Superbone

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Unfortunately it took the Suns two seasons to recognize this and then, they only signed him to a one year contract.

Mat Ishbia needs the best scouts in the business looking for diamonds in the rough.
We have his bird rights. I'm confident we will resign him for a longer contract.
 
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Look, of course I like Collin Gillespie. I love un-heralded players who work their way up from nothing; I wore an Elliot Perry t-shirt in high school, calling him my favorite Suns player. But.."Bandwagon Thread"? Really.

On a Suns discussion forum that I frequented many years ago, during the Nash/SSOL era there was an individual who, apparently being a Leandro Barbosa fanboy, kept saying "Must start AND finish with L.B. Let's go SUNS." It became his catchphrase, and we started making fun of it by periodically saying "Must start AND finish with [person]. Let's go SUNS."

As much as I like Collin Gillespie, this thread's existence begs to be similarly mocked. Thusly: Must start AND finish with Collin Gillespie. Let's go SUNS.

Or...perhaps "bandwagoners" deserve more mockery than that. Try this satire (not parody) of fanboys that I wrote circa 2010.
It is written from the perspective of Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons; basically, I was imagining him as an NBA fan. It started as a satire of Kobe Bryant's fangeeks; but I eventually realized that I could insert any player's name and the meaning would be the same. The player's identity was relatively immaterial. I have a lebron james version and even an Archie Goodwin version (because poor Archie Goodwin briefly had his local fangeeks, circa 2015). Anyway...

Collin Gillespie is the best there ever was at every statistic in the game. If you disagree, shut up, or I'll come to your home and make you watch videos of all Collin's best games. (Yes, I know where you live, because Collin knows everything and he told me.) It could take a while, because Collin's best games are...every game he's ever played in. As everyone but youuuu knows, he scored every basket, grabbed every rebound, and made every steal and assist in every game, even the games played before he was born. (Well, no, of course he didn't make every block. That was Bill Russell, and later Hakeem Olajuwon.) Collin did this for the opposing team, too, because they can never do it against him, and he feels sorry for them. He also coaches his team himself (Jordan Ott being a figurehead) as well as the other team (meaning all other teams beg him to temporarily replace their own coach during the game). There should be college courses taught on Collin Gillespie; they ideally would be required for every major. If Steve Nash wants to stop fooling himself that he was a great point guard, he should start by changing his first name to Collin. Best...player...ever.

P.S. I have a master's degree in folklore and mythology.
 
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And now I will cease mocking fangeeks and bandwagoners, and instead jump to the other side, by praising Collin Gillespie.

Gillespie is the new Elliot Perry. Yes, that means something to me: in 1993-94, when I was still a new NBA watcher, Elliot Perry became my archetype for "minor leaguer and/or journeyman who joins the Suns and then reveals un-noticed talent," because Perry was the first example I ever saw of this type. Charles Barkley was such a fan that he wore Perry's number to the all-star game. Collin Gillespie fits the type marvelously, even if he's probably not as good a playmaker as Perry. (Yes, playmaker. 15 assists in Perry's first Suns game.) Gillespie even shares certain other similarities with Perry. Perry started only because Kevin Johnson was injured; Gillespie is starting only because Jalen Green is injured. Like Perry, Gillespie is seizing the opportunity.
 
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