One of the biggest surprises early in this NBA season has been the Phoenix Suns, who have started 13–9 after a dominant road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week.
In that matchup, the Suns were powered by former Lakers fan favorite Dillon Brooks, who poured in 33 points, and point guard Collin Gillespie, who added 28 points and hit eight three-pointers in the impressive win.
Gillespie has been enjoying the best stretch of his NBA career so far, delivering multiple standout moments — including a recent game-winning shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Star guard Devin Booker recently shared why Gillespie’s rise doesn’t surprise him at all.
“This started long before these moments. He’s been grinding,” Booker said, via Mark Media of RG.org. “He worked all summer. People are seeing it now, but we’ve been seeing it in open runs and in practice. I’m glad he finally gets to show everyone what he can really do.”
Brooks echoed that praise, even giving Gillespie a playful nickname inspired by his own “Dillon the Villain” moniker. Brooks now calls him “Villain Jr.”
“He asked for that nickname,” Brooks said. “He plays with fire. He’s got that dog in him. You look at him and you might not think he’s a hooper, but he spent the whole summer in the lab. And in training camp, he proved every day that he belongs here.”
After trading Kevin Durant in the offseason, many analysts expected Phoenix to slip toward the bottom of the standings — especially with Jalen Green appearing in just one game so far.
Instead, unexpected contributors like Brooks and Gillespie have helped the Suns outperform expectations and stay competitive early in the year.
