How Suns' Kevin Durant sees 'stepping stone' following Collin Gillespie career night
03/29/2025 09:25 AM
Since getting pivotal minutes in the Phoenix Suns rotation, both Kevin Durant and Collin Gillespie have grown closer. After Gillespie was the Suns’ unsung hero in a 119-117 win over the Los Angeles Clippers earlier in March, he put on his hero cape once again on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While the Suns suffered a 124-109 loss to the Timberwolves, the former Villanova guard had a standout performance. He posted a career-high 22 points to go along with 10 assists and five rebounds.
It was an all-around game for Gillespie, with his 22 points seeing him second on the team in scoring behind only Durant, who had 23 points. Following the game, Durant opened up to Duane Rankin of AZCentral regarding Gillespie’s impact on the game.
"Collin was great tonight. Wish we could've got a win for him. That would've been even better, but it's a good stepping stone. Build more confidence."
Kevin Durant on Collin Gillespie career night of 22 points (9-of-11 FGs, 4-of-5 on 3s), 10 assists and 5 rebounds in loss to… pic.twitter.com/faRSo5jqBa
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 29, 2025
“I’m always happy to see guys come into the league and reach their career highs in a start, and get an opportunity to play their game,” Durant said.
“Collin was great tonight. Wish we could’ve got a win for him. That would’ve been even better, but it’s a good stepping stone. Build more confidence.”
As he’s stepped into a starting role, the split between Gillespie and Tyus Jones has worked out quite well. Gillespie offers more size and versatility on the defensive side than Jones, which has been a big help for Phoenix.
Still, teams have singled out the Suns point guard on the offensive end, throwing traps at him and forcing the ball out of his hands.
Regardless of some of the defensive strategies against him, Gillespie has taken advantage of playing alongside Durant, as his and Devin Booker’s lethal scoring abilities have allowed the second-year guard to get open looks. Friday’s game was a screaming example of that, as Gillespie shot 9-11 from the field and 4-5 from 3-point range. He took full advantage of the Timberwolves relaxed defense towards him.
Throughout the season, Durant has made it a point to give credit where credit is due. Back in February, Durant gave love to the Suns G-Leaguers after a tough 119-111 loss to the Houston Rockets. One guy who was part of that crowd was Gillespie, whose strong play on the court has continued to show the work he’s been putting in behind the scenes.
Kevin Durant gives love to Collin Gillespie
Fast forward to March, and now Gillespie is starting in place of Jones. Again, he has brought a new dynamic to the table, exuding his youth and enthusiasm to his teammates.
Playing alongside Ryan Dunn in the starting lineup has allowed veterans like Durant and Booker to get some inspiration. For instance, Gillespie and Dunn have frequently been diving for loose balls and trying to make winning plays to fire up the rest of their squad.
That has had a chain reaction on the entire team. Even head coach Mike Budenholzer has seen it. After he made the intriguing decision to start Gillespie moving forward, he made it clear there was a reason. Part of that reason was seen by fans firsthand on Friday night.
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer on Devin Booker, Collin Gillespie and Nick Richards after 124-109 loss to T-Wolves.
On Booker (Scoreless 1st half, 10 points in game 4-of-14 FGs, 0-of-6 from 3): (Jaden) McDaniels really, really basically never leaves him. Stays connected to him all… pic.twitter.com/TlrGbFknog
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 29, 2025
“Their shifts, their activity and Collin taking advantage of it,” Budenholzer said via Rankin. “And then Collin just taking it and finding driving lanes when they stay attached to Book and KD. His aggressiveness was great.”
That aggressiveness was necessary, as Booker finished with only 10 points on 4-14 shooting. Defenders were draped all over him, leaving Gillespie with space that he ended up taking full advantage of.
An interesting thing to note, though, is that Gillespie is on a two-way contract. In a matter of games, the Suns will need to turn his two-way contract into a standard NBA contract.
If Phoenix makes the playoffs, then someone will have to be cut. Based on the way he’s been playing, Gillespie won’t be the one getting the ax.
In fact, he could be a mainstay within the team for quite some time. Finding elite two-way players is hard to come by, and it appears as though the Suns might’ve found a diamond in the rough with Gillespie.
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