Energy boy! Gillespie uses hard work to fill the gaps in the lineup

After Jaylen Green was confirmed to be injured, Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neal became Suns coach Ott's fixed starting lineup. These two players also have a tacit understanding and are very good at using continuous breakthroughs to attack the opponent's defensive moves. Thanks to their excellent touch, they can take the initiative on the offensive end and help Booker reduce the burden on the offensive end.

Allen was unable to play today, and coach Ott put Dunn back into the starting lineup. At the same time, Gillespie got more playing time. Although his physical condition was not outstanding, Gillespie won his time with energy, hard work and clear mind, and also filled the void left by injuries to his teammates. The comprehensive data of 15+8+7 is the best explanation.

Although it is difficult for Gillespie, who has very ordinary physical conditions, to score steadily through one-on-one situations:

But he is very good at helping his teammates find more comfortable scoring opportunities. The Hawks' physical fitness is generally outstanding, and it is very difficult for the Suns to score in the first quarter, so Gillespie responded twice in a row. He cooperated with Booker on the screen to help the latter find a matchup with Kennard:

The original intention of this round was still to find Booker's advantage to match up, but the Hawks did not want to switch defenses, so Booker and Gillespie disrupted the opponent's defense through continuous breakthroughs. Goodwin's transfer allowed Booker to find a fighting opportunity with his final breakthrough.

Gillespie is better at handling after receiving the ball, using changes in footsteps and confrontations that do not meet physical conditions to find shooting opportunities:

Gillespie's biggest advantage is his observation on the field. He rarely makes wrong choices after receiving the ball. This time he paid attention to Jaylen Johnson's position after receiving the ball, and immediately gave Dunn the opportunity to attack.

The Suns' iconic three-man stack in the middle cooperated. Dillon's back screen held Okongwu, and Gillespie easily used the screen of his teammates to break into the penalty area and finish.

After handling the ball, Gillespie still had the awareness to continue to participate in the offense. This time Booker moved to the left. Gillespie caught the ball and broke through the baseline and passed it to Booker on the right. He quickly overloaded to the strong side. Booker's breakthrough squeezed the defensive space and attracted Walker to recover. Gillespie caught the ball and made a 3-pointer and caused a foul.

Another easily overlooked advantage of Gillespie is that he has good judgment on rebounds and has very fast hands. After getting the ball, he can immediately push back to find the teammate in the best position, and then immediately go over to receive the ball and pass the ball to the open teammate.

When Dillon missed a three-pointer, Gillespie had already judged the placement of the rebound, grabbed the ball from Dyson and gave it back to Goodwin to complete the assist.

Gillespie's team awareness is also reflected on the defensive end. After switching to Jaylen Johnson many times on the defensive end, he can communicate well with the teammate behind him (Dillon) and switch defenses smoothly, making the opponent's offensive advantage fleeting. Then he can immediately rotate to the position where he should appear to complete the subsequent defensive tasks:

This time, it was Gillespie and Booker's switching defense + double attack that caused the Hawks' mistakes:

Although the Suns failed to win in the end, during the offensive frenzy in the third quarter, Gillespie had already proven his vitality and golf intelligence with a strong performance. As the season progresses, he has become an indispensable candidate on the bench.