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Collin Gillespie is a skilled basketball player, Suns head coach says

Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott described Collin Gillespie as a skilled basketball player and praised him for his work during the offseason.

Diannie Chavez and Diana Payan/The Republic

The Phoenix Suns scrimmaged on Day 3 of training camp Saturday, Sept. 27, at the team’s practice facility as they continue to display a high level of competitiveness.

“Went well,” Suns first-year head coach Jordan Ott said. “That was our plan to just install principles, our base on both sides of the ball on the first day. Second day, play a little bit and today we told them ahead of time that this was a scrimmage day. Split up into two teams, got after it. Really, really competitive even until the end.”

The Suns were expected to take off Sunday and resume training camp Monday, Sept. 29. They’ll play their preseason opener Friday, Oct. 3, against the Los Angeles Lakers in Palm Desert, Calif.

“I think it’s been a great three days,” Suns guard Grayson Allen said. “Our live play has been super competitive between both groups and our breakdowns, stations at the beginning of practice have been really good with our teaching. Focusing on what are principles are, what we’re going to do on both ends this year.”

Suns veteran forward Royce O’Neale echoed Ott’s observation, saying the players are adjusting and figuring out their roles.

“Setting an identity and I think just having fun,” O’Neale said.

O’Neale sees similarities to what the Cleveland Cavaliers ran last season with Ott serving as an assistant under Kenny Atkinson to what the Suns are installing on offense.

The Cavaliers led the NBA in points per game at 121.9 points a game.

“Certain concepts, certain things we can do on offense to help us out with cutting, spacing, the way we want to play,” O’Neale said. “I think JO (Ott) has been doing a great job implementing that in our offense, utilizing the guys that we got to play to our best ability. Everybody is learning as much as we can and being in the right position to make plays.”

Allen talked about the importance of ball movement and player movement and how that’s different from the way they functioned offensively last season.

“With the ball swinging side to side, that creates advantages for guys on the weak side,” Allen said. “We talk about Jalen (Green) getting downhill, Jalen gets downhill, they sink to the big and skip (the ball) to the weak side. A little different way to get the same result that we’ve done the last two years, but now we have different personnel. Those advantages to the weakside, we’re just going to get to them differently.”

The Suns landed Green from Houston in the Kevin Durant trade before the 2025 draft. An explosive talent, Green is being put in position to score and create for others.

“The system is built around those guys,” Ott said. “Elite players, you build the system around those guys. With Jalen, just give him space. He’s so dynamic with the ball in his hands. Just to give him the gaps to play in space, to keep it simple. We’ll obviously have some rim pressure. We can put some pressure on the rim with a roller, and then at times, be aware of where his outlets are.”

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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