Dillon Brooks is embracing longtime narrative to help lift the Suns

Dillon Brooks' goal has never been to make friends with opponents. In fact, one of his best skills as a basketball player is his ability to annoy other teams and fan bases. He's also a great defender, though, which is a key part of being an irritant. It's hard to be taken seriously if your only skill is trash talking.

In his first media day as a member of the Phoenix Suns, Brooks reflected on his NBA journey, and how being that guy — the one who stirs the pot — has played a part in him continuing to find roles in the NBA.

"I had to look myself in the mirror and say, "How can I be wanted?" And from that... Relishing... The villain persona, or whatever you want to put it... That just comes from... me being super competitive... Trying different things on the defensive end that's gonna, you know, annoy or wear down an offensive player..."

And he's correct in that assessment. It wasn't too long ago that Brooks — after a season which he made an All-Defense team, by the way — was told by the Memphis Grizzlies that the team would not bring him back under any circumstances. That's as harsh as it gets.

Jokes about Brooks playing in China were flying. He was the easiest target in the world. So it's not revisionist history when Brooks says he really had to figure out his path in the NBA after that.

Suns need Brooks to be the annoying defender he always has been

And him shooting close to 40% from the 3-point line like he did last season wouldn't hurt, either. Brooks, along with Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, was a pillar of the Rockets No. 5-ranked defense last season. If the Suns' defense is anywhere near that dynamic in 2025-26, then someone deserves a raise.

But no matter the makeup of the team around him, Brooks is guaranteed to be the firestarter on defense. That's an important role on all teams, but even moreso on a team that went through major roster turnover and will look to form an identity early.

Dillon Brooks leads a potentially solid defensive roster

Questions about the offensive upside of this Suns team have been floating all offseason long — some of them are fair. But on the other end, there's enough defensive versatility that, if used correctly, Jordan Ott could have a well-above league average defensive unit.

There's defensive talent at every position. Jared Butler, Jordan Goodwin, Royce O'Neale, Dillon Brooks, and Khaman Maluach should probably not all be on the floor at the same time (unless Ott wants games to end, like, 63-60) but it will be fun to watch how he mixes and matches lineups in a year that will be marked by experimentation.