Colin Gillespie says who brought ‘dog mentality’ to Suns

PHOENIX – What is this so-called ‘dog mentality’ Phoenix Suns have? Players and coaches have embraced that philosophy ever since the Suns hired head coach Jordan Ott this summer.

Some have taken that mantra to heart, especially Dillon Brooks and Colin Gillespie. The latter surprised a lot, but not the Phoenix organization.

They saw the evolution of his game from backup quarterback to starting next to Devin Booker. Great 3-point shooting, playmaking, mixed with grit and mindset have him on guard.

Guys love it Booker and Anthony Edwards raved about Gillespie’s playing. And the proof is in the pudding, because in five games as a starter, he averaged 21 points, five assists and 3.6 rebounds.

Fans are enthralled by the competitive spirit, energy and sheer excitement at every game. Whether it’s a 20+ loss or a 20+ win, that “dog mentality” comes down to the bare bones element of basketball.

“That’s what you see. Compete, play hard, never quit if you’re up or down, play a full 48 minutes and just try to be relentless on every possession,” Gillespie told ClutchPoints before the Suns’ Nov. 29 game against the Denver Nuggets.

Where was the Suns dog mentality in 2024-25?

Now that may seem simple, but in reality, some teams struggled to implement them every night. One of those teams was the 2024-25 iteration of Phoenix itself.

Even with Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant, there seemed to be a common theme: a lack of intensity. While a large part of it had to do with unrealistic championship standardretooling was necessary.

Bringing in guys like Brooks and keeping promising young players like Gillespie gives Phoenix an advantage it didn’t have before — guys who have proven something or have something to prove, but are winners.

That alone sets a great precedent. Gillespie won a national championship with Villanova in his first season, and Brooks went to the men’s Final Four in 2017 with Oregon.

They made it to the top of the mountain in college, but don’t seem to have done it in the NBA. He had looks with the Memphis Grizzlies, along with the Houston Rockets, but Brooks really broke out with the Suns.

Gillespie was with the Denver Nuggets before finding his home in the Valley of the Sun. Even in a chaotic 2024-25 season, he proved to be a bright spot with a legitimate future in the NBA.

Those two guys – each with something to prove – brought the barebones basketball standard. Haste, courage, determination, playing with a blade and an innate desire to win.

The implementation of that standard costs money, but it happened long before the start of the season.

Colin Gillespie + Dillon Brooks + Jordan Ott = Sun Dog Mentality

The winning combination of Brooks and Ott, along with key pieces like Gillespie, gave the Suns a completely different identity. But inside the walls of the Verizon 5G Performance Center over the summer in Phoenix, it didn’t happen overnight.

Late nights, early mornings, pickup games, trash talk and challenging guys felt inevitable from the moment Ott took over as head coach in June.

And when Booker spoke about the team that has those exhibitions during media day, the national audience seemed surprised. Not because they had them, but because they spent months wanting together and establishing a mentality.

A good part comes from Brooks. Therefore, it takes a lot to earn his respect. He has a history of demanding the best from everyone, every day.

For the first coach, v respect from his players came almost instantly, especially from Brooks. Countless hours of watching movies over the summer—staying on Verizon 5G from dawn to dusk—reinforced a commitment to creating winners.

It immediately caught his attention. The first-year coach who set the standard set a precedent for how invested everyone should be.

“We sit here and work every night when you’re not looking. In the gym, we work, we get it. When JO sits there for hours and hours, just staring at the screen – those are the things we live for and play hard for each other. That’s why it’s special,” Brooks said after the Suns’ Nov. 18 game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The sun will bring it every night

One thing’s for sure, and that’s how every night every team that plays Phoenix knows what they’re going to get. A scrappy, defensive-minded team that plays for each other, has synergy and can take top teams to the end.

Would the mentality be the same if the Suns didn’t have Brooks? Probably not. Through all the goofing off, the constant kneeling and asking the players for certain details, Gillespie knows there is a method to the madness.

“The way he competes, the way he works,” Gillespie said. “You’ve seen it all summer, especially in games, practices, team practices, things like that, he’s just always competing, talking s**t, trying to get it out of guys, getting the best out of people.

“If he’s on you, you know it’s out of love because he’s just trying to get the most out of you. You’ve seen that everywhere he’s been. He gets that out of every team he’s on. He’s a culture man.”

A basketball team isn’t defined by three guys, but Gillespie, Brooks and Ott have been pieces that constantly push the blueprint of who the Suns are to those who don’t know.