Collin Gillespie is technically entering his second year in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets. But he hasn't played a single minute. Gillespie joined the Nuggets in the summer of 2022 after going undrafted as a fifth year player out of Villanova. He was signed to a two-way contract and suited up for the Nuggets during NBA Summer League that year. He was impressive averaging 11.3 points per game, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

Shortly after, Gillespie suffered a leg injury during a pickup game. He was ruled out indefinitely and it was ultimately decided that he would miss the entirety of the 2022-23 season. It wasn't all bad, however, as Gillespie would end up an NBA champion as the Nuggets won their first title in franchise history.

While Gillespie might not have been able to be on the court, he was still grateful for everything he picked up from his veteran teammates regarding what it takes to make it in the NBA.

“A lot, I learned a lot about the NBA. The lifestyle, the terminology, and how to just carry yourself as a pro,” Gillespie said. “I learned a lot from those guys. We had a lot of great vets around us so it was good.”

Now with the 2023-24 NBA regular season set to tip-off this week, Gillespie is healthy and ready to contribute in any way he can. He suited up for the Nuggets for his second go-round at Summer League this year. In five games, he averaged 7.8 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals with splits of 30.2 percent shooting from the field, 28 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line.

He was also able to suit up during preseason for the Nuggets this year, a first for him. He finished with seven points, two rebounds and two assists in the Nuggets preseason opener. He followed that up with 13 points, three rebound and four assists.

Summer League is different from preseason which is different from the regular season. Each step will take another adjustment to learn the flow of the game and right now, Gillespie is doing his best to get acclimated to each level of play.

“It's been the speed of the game, the length that guys have, the physicality of it all and the pace are probably the main things to adjust to,” Gillespie said. “But I'm just trying to get better and continue to learn as much as I can each day.”

The Nuggets re-signed Collin Gillespie to a two-way contract this offseason. He'll join Braxton Key and Jay Huff this year spending most of their time in the G League with the Grand Rapids Gold. Under a two-way contract, Gillespie is limited to only 50 regular season games and will be ineligible for the playoffs.

The G League season does not tip-off until Nov. 10, almost two and a half weeks after the start of the NBA season. Each year, there are always a few two-way contract players who end up getting regular rotation minutes. Nothing in the NBA is guaranteed, especially when playing on a two-way contract, but Collin Gillespie is ready should the Nuggets call his number at any point this season.

“Whatever they need. There's going to be nights where guys aren't going to be able to go and I'll have to just step in and be able to run one of the units, either first or second units,” Gillespie said. “Just try to get guys in spots where they can be successful and just help the team win in any way I can.”

Collin Gillespie was a point guard in college and one of the most decorated players in Villanova school history. He was two-time Big East Player of the Year, a two-time All-Big East First Team member, an NCAA champion and a Bob Cousy Award winner for the top point guard in college basketball.

The point guard position is one of the most important positions on the floor, especially at the NBA level. But playing for the Grand Rapids Gold, Gillespie will get the opportunity to run the team and to develop his lead guard ability. The G League has become something of a first step for young NBA players and a place where they can get live game reps rather than just sit on the bench racking up DNPs.

“It's going to be great for me, just getting reps. Obviously not playing for a year and then minutes, they fluctuate up here,” Gillespie said. “So just to be able to go down there and play and get reps of actual game speed, being in game situations is going to be good for me.”

And at the end of the day, staying in the NBA is all about proving you belong and that's hard to do when you're not getting regular minutes. Collin Gillespie might be behind the eight ball a little bit due to being sidelined for a whole year, but his main goal this season with the Nuggets is to simply prove he belongs here.

“I want to get better,” Gillespie said. “I want to prove that I can play at the highest level and just continue to grow, learn and get better every day.”