There is no doubt that Dillon Brooks is the player that the Phoenix Suns acquired this offseason who is flying under the radar the most. While all of the talk has been on the pressure Jalen Green is under to produce straight away - as well as becoming the starting point guard in the process - the expectations for Brooks are different.
Yet he is arguably going to be the new addition who slots into the roster quicker than others. While second year forward Ryan Dunn is sure to take a leap defensively - and Summer League play showed he wants the responsibility - Brooks can become the lynchpin on that end immediately.
That defensive play is going to push the Suns to some needed wins.
The Suns were dreadful at conceding baskets last season, giving up 117.7 points per game. Only three teams were worse, and none of them had close to the aspirations that Phoenix did of contending for a championship. If one number explains why the team only managed 36 wins, it is probably that one.
But the way Brooks plays the game just won't allow that to happen. Take the Charlotte Hornets for example, who with the greatest of respect should not have been beating even an under-strength Suns last year. Yet they split the season series with them, dropping an early January tilt to them that ultimately proved costly.
When it comes to those sleepy games against inferior opponents that the Suns just couldn't get themselves up for in the past, Brooks will be the one driving the intensity. There's a reason many Houston Rockets fans were sad to see him go, and that's because he's a player you love to root for and hate to see coming.
Suns fans shouldn't sleep on Dillon Brooks' underrated post-up game! 💪 pic.twitter.com/fTjzmKUwSD
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) July 31, 2025
Brooks is going to use his stout frame to stay in front of bigger forwards, while he's quicker than you think at chasing guards around the perimeter too. He could even make the life of rookie center Khaman Maluach easier, as at just 18-years-old if Brooks is talking him through defensive possessions then he can use his massive frame to have an impact.
The other side of the coin here is that Brooks then becomes the best trade asset available to the Suns down the road. The odds of getting Jonathan Kuminga aren't looking particularly good right now, but there may even be a silver lining should that not happen. All of the talk might have been around Green's addition, but Brooks is going to be the more consistent performer right away.