Collin Gillespie isn’t buying the idea that Devin Booker only moves the needle in one area.
The Phoenix Suns guard, coming off a breakout season of his own, took exception to a podcast clip that downplayed Booker’s overall value. Gillespie reposted the comment on X and kept his response short and sharp: “Bad take”
That pushback landed after a season in which Booker once again carried the Suns’ offense and then some. He finished with 26.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in 64 games, staying at the center of everything Phoenix wanted to do.
The podcast argument tried to reduce Booker’s influence to scoring alone, saying: “Book affects one part of the game very strongly: Scoring. He doesn't do that in defense.
👎🏼 bad take https://t.co/XbAOxRMI9F
— Collin Gillespie (@Colling1021) August 26, 2026
He doesn't do that in playmaking to the level that it takes to take your team all the way. He can affect one phase of the game, not all three,” claimed the podcast.
Gillespie had a front-row seat to a different version of the story. In his third NBA season, he turned in the best numbers of his career, averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals across 80 games, with 58 starts.
He also knocked down 40.1% of his three-pointers. That production made him a strong fit next to Booker, who kept the Suns’ attack humming.
Booker’s impact went beyond his own box score. His unselfish play helped boost the scoring output of Gillespie, Dillon Brooks, Royce O'Neale, and Jordan Goodwin, all of whom posted career highs in points. Phoenix rode that collective production to a 45-37 record and a return to the playoffs after a one-year gap, even if the run ended quickly with a first-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Suns will look different when the new season begins. Phoenix has reworked the roster by bringing in Miles Bridges, Luke Kennard, and Koa Peat.
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For Ighodaro, the job is bigger than just logging minutes. He wants to be a key playmaker on the floor and a voice in the locker room, while continuing to round out his game by improving his shooting range. The Suns have enough new pieces and enough expectations that how quickly players like Ighodaro grow into those responsibilities could say plenty about where this season is headed. [Read more 🡒]