The Phoenix Suns certainly didn’t miss Kevin Durant in 2025-26 as they formed a new identity and made the playoffs, but his shot-making ability is one they’d love to have back.
Durant being among the best midrange executioners of all time, and alongside Devin Booker the duo could be devastating in that area of the court. It didn’t lead to team success, but it bailed them out of a ton of offensive possessions that went nowhere.
Brooks among playoff leaders in the midrange this season
With Durant in Houston you would think the Suns would be lacking a midrange killer, but you would be wrong.
None other than Dillon Brooks finishing fifth among all players in percentage of his points (a career high 20.2) scored in that area of the court at 19.2 percent during the postseason. This isn’t quite like swapping like-for-like, as Durant will always be the better player of the two operating out of the midrange.
But it gives the Suns another way to hurt opponents that most thought would leave with Durant, particularly with Booker tasked with doing so much with the ball in hand while also continuing to fire away from deep even though he has struggled for consistency in that area for most of his career.
This midrange ability was on full display in the playoffs, with Brooks making all manner of difficult shots in their series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yes the series was brief, but the opponent was among the best in the league and presented Phoenix with a ton of problems with their size defensively.
If the Suns can surround both Brooks and Booker with 3-point shooting (Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale will fill this gap as long as they are in The Valley) and a rim-rolling center like Khaman Maluach, then they will have built an effective offense to again win games next season.
Doubling down on midrange scoring and trusting Brooks to turn in another campaign like the one he just did is ill-advised, but having a player who does not demand as much of the ball be able to make these shots while also defending in ways Durant never could for an entire game is a weapon Phoenix needs to make the most out of. This works for Brooks as well, the Canadian international eligible for what will probably be the largest extension he signs before calling it a career.
It is fair to point out that Durant was unavailable for much of his team’s eventual loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, and he may well have finished above Brooks in this category if healthy. That was the case during the regular season.
But being able to replicate some of what one of the best to ever do it can in the form of Brooks was a nice bonus for a franchise that needed all of the little wins they could get. That alone won’t lead to continued success, but implementing it as part of wider offensive game plan certainly will.
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