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Collin Gillespie Gives Honest Take on State of Suns
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- Collin Gillespie Gives Honest Take on State of Suns
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Are there already reasons to express concern about the Phoenix Suns ' trajectory this season?
There are some that would assert this in lieu of the Suns letting a pair of victories slip away from them over the first week of preseason play.
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The second-half woes continued in Wednesday's 124-117 loss at the hand of the Chicago Bulls, with aspects of the game such as lack of ball control and inconsistent shot creation getting in the way of exceptional starts to each contest.
The panic button shouldn't be something that is an immediate concern, however, with guard Collin Gillespie being of the belief that the losses signify something completely different.
Gillespie Believes Suns Close to Putting Things Together
The third-year Sun has been exceptional two games into preseason play, and he spoke in an optimistic manner that the good that has been on display outweighs the less-than-ideal aspects of the losses in a conversation with Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic following the game.
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"I think we know what it takes to win. We've seen it in spurts. It's just a matter of playing together for a full 48 minutes, putting it all together and just getting more time getting the reps in. I like what we have. I like where we're at. There's a lot of room to get better, a lot of room to improve. Got to watch the film and learn from it and grow from it."
Playing a complete 48-minute game is obviously easier said than done, but the pieces are in place for Phoenix to be able to withstand a number of wrinkles that opponents will be able to throw their way.
These pros include Jordan Ott and his adaptability in nearly any situation. Ott will be able to manage Phoenix's advantages - including possessing incredible depth from 1-15 - more often than not.
While there is infrastructure in place to compensate for lapses at times, the margin for error to return to the playoffs is rather small. This must be an emphasis for Phoenix over the final three preseason contests.
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Time is Short to Clean Up Ball Security Before Regular Season
The most significant detriment of the first two games is quite simply the 58 total turnovers committed by the Suns.
A fair amount of these turnovers are by virtue of bench players that aren't guaranteed to see the floor often this season. However, the overall yield is unacceptable regardless of context.
Beyond the loose ball control by the bench unit is guard Jalen Green and forward Dillon Brooks struggling on Wednesday, as the duo combined to cough up nine turnovers. This is clearly a team-wide issue that has to be smoothed over heading into the Oct. 21 regular season finale.
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The downside? Time is running short to actually address this concern, and the opening opponent (Portland Trail Blazers) will absolutely be opportunistic in the event that the Suns are making consistent errors on the offensive side of the ball.
