Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks has the rare NBA personality that endears him to fans and teammates, but rattles and irks opponents — even earning praise from rivals for his trash talk.
He possesses a seemingly bottomless motor, hustles constantly and sets the tone for Phoenix as a team (while having trouble avoiding technical and/or flagrant fouls).
Unfortunately, that culture changer and tone setter will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
As Brooks deals with a broken left hand that will reportedly keep him sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks, his Suns teammate who he coined “Villain Jr.” pulled back the curtain on his work ethic.
"When he first found out, he was probably disappointed. The next morning I think he was in here shooting with one hand."
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 24, 2026
Suns guard Collin Gillespie on Dillon Brooks, who had surgery on his broken left hand Monday.
Re-evaluated in 4 to 6 weeks.
"He's crazy, but that's who he… pic.twitter.com/6z7c7mgmpG
“He’s crazy, but that’s who he is,” Collin Gillespie said about Brooks, who was reportedly in the gym shooting with his one good hand after suffering the injury, per the Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin. “That’s how hard he works and a testament to him as a player and as a person. He’s special in that way.”
Gillespie added that he’s “praying for a speedy recovery” for Brooks, who should be able to return to the court for the playoffs if not toward the end of the regular season.
When asked what will be missed most about Brooks in his absence, Gillespie noted Brooks “energy.”
“We miss a lot when he’s not out there,” the breakout point guard said. “Sometimes he’s crazy and you have to reel him back in, but it’s better to have to reel somebody back in than tell them they’ve gotta play harder.”
Other Suns must now step up in Brooks’ absence, with second-year player Ryan Dunn and rookie Rasheer Fleming looking like guys who could see expanded roles in the coming weeks.
Free-agent signee Haywood Highsmith, who’s still recovering from knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, will be re-evaluated in two-to-three weeks. Until then, he’ll be focused on rehabbing rather than playing for his new team.
With Jordan Goodwin also nursing what at least appears to be a minor calf injury, the Suns will continue to be shorthanded through the end of the month.
Dillon Brooks' stats with Suns
At the time of his injury, Brooks is averaging a career-high 20.9 points per game on a career-best 44% shooting from the field. Brooks is also matching a career high in rebounds (3.7 per contest), shooting a career-high 85.6% at the free throw line, dishing out 1.8 assists and adding 1.0 steals per game.
The Suns are 30-20 when Brooks plays, a remarkable turnaround in 2025-26 after the team finished 10 games under .500 last season with Kevin Durant in tow.
Phoenix is 3-5 this season when Brooks isn't in the lineup, a figure the Suns need to improve as they aim to hold steady with the No. 7 seed or better in the Western Conference playoff picture.