Dillon Brooks put up one of his best performances of the season in the Phoenix Suns' win in Los Angeles earlier this week. This situation perfectly and poetically encapsulated just how much he has grown and matured, given that the Crypto.com Arena was also where he had one of the lowest moments of his career.
It can be easy to forget just how quickly the perception of Brooks has changed for the better around the NBA. Of course, now he's nearly universally viewed as a floor-raiser that changes the culture of the teams he plays for with defensive intensity, grit, and a hard-working mentality. But it wasn't so long ago that people weren't sure having Dillon on their roster was a guaranteed positive.
That viewpoint stemmed from his time with the Memphis Grizzlies, and specifically the tail end of his tenure with the franchise. In the spring of 2023, the Grizzlies faced off with the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. During that series, Brooks leaned even more heavily into being a disruptor and someone who wasn't afraid to give the other team billboard material.
Dillon Brooks' career has taken a turn for the better
His approach unfortunately backfired on him, as Memphis lost in six games to Los Angeles, and Brooks was subsequently signed-and-traded to the Houston Rockets. Many saw that as the moment Dillon lost some credibility, given that he talked so much trash to LeBron James and company but wasn't able to back it up. What Brooks has shown us in the two and a half years since that incident is that he has absolutely made amends and overcome his shortcomings.
Now, not three years after that embarrassing defeat on the Lakers' home court in the playoffs, Dillon put up a masterful 33-point evening on the same court in a 125-108 Phoenix blowout win over Los Angeles. It was a poetic moment, and highly fitting that it came in the same location so as to bring the situation full circle.
Moments like this show why his reputation has swung so dramatically. Brooks has grown into a player who channels his edge productively, and someone who fuels winning rather than distracting from it.
The grit that once felt volatile is now a stabilizing force, and the Suns are benefitting from the version of Dillon Brooks Rockets fans learned to appreciate. His performance in LA wasn’t just another great game, it was confirmation that he is fully re-writing his story, and still adding new chapters.