Dillon Brooks gives the Suns something Kevin Durant never could

There is no doubt that the departure of Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns this offseason closed their championship window aspirations. But given they failed to win a single playoff game in the two full seasons the 36-year-old was in The Valley, the front office had to make changes to secure their future anyway.

Not that they fixed all of their problems - and they need to avoid signing this point guard to create a new one - but the path back to relevance now runs solely through Devin Booker. The roster is also being built with a defensive identity in mind, after the hapless way in which last year's team defended opponents each night.

Dillon Brooks will improve teammates in way Durant never could.

Central to the new core that is being built in Phoenix is Dillon Brooks, the 29-year-old Canadian international who was not the headliner in the deal that sent Durant to the Houston Rockets. That would be Jalen Green, the high-scoring offensive whirlwind who is going to overlap some with Booker once the season starts.

But as has often been the case with teams featuring Brooks, the Suns could win more games than expected with him in the rotation. That's because he makes his teammates better, and you only need to take one look at the Rockets' fanbase having loss Brooks to see that they are going to struggle some without him next season.

For all of Durant's amazing qualities, making role players better during his time in Phoenix was not one of them. Rather he needed above average defenders and elite 3-point shooters around him, and the fact he only received the latter is part of the reason the Suns struggled so much. Brooks is different in that he's not a star, and he will gladly do the dirty work to make others thrive.

You could even make the case he'll be one of the best teammates Booker has ever had - because much like Mikal Bridges before him - what he does meshes so well with who Booker is as a player. He has no problem filling a role and defending himself, but will now be able to take on that higher scoring burden while Brooks takes care of elite scorers on the other end.

Then there are the youngsters who will also benefit massively because Brooks will connect with them in a way Durant never did. Young center Khaman Maluach will be marshalled around the court by Brooks until he gets the hang of things by himself, while second year pros Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro are just waiting to be pushed to their limits by another willing defender.

Even backup point guard Collin Gillespie will look better in minutes next to Brooks, while Green's arrival is made easier by the fact he has a former teammate from his Houston days with him. This roster is going to be different and not as good with Durant no longer in the picture, but there is also no doubt Dillon Brooks will elevate his teammates in a way we haven't seen this coming season.