Dillon Brooks will unlock the Suns in a way few see coming

The Phoenix Suns finally parted ways with Kevin Durant this offseason, and a lot of the talk surrounding the players they got back in return has centered on the pressure Jalen Green is going to be under right out the gate. Then there is rookie center Khaman Maluach, who at 18-years-old it is hoped can be their big man of the future.

The South Sudanese former Duke prospect looked raw at Summer League - and while that was to be expected - it further highlights just how long a path there is ahead of him before he can be considered a regular contributor. Which is why the Suns also swung for Mark Williams, even if they would have been better served going after this European bound NBA Finalist.

Dillon Brooks will unlock new defensive element for Suns.

Then there is Dillon Brooks - the player you love to hate when he's not on your team - who is somehow flying under the radar despite having been the center of attention in certain matchups in the past. If you take a glance at the Houston Rockets' social media pages and even subreddit, then you'll know that fans in Texas were actually quite sad to see him go.

Even though many expect Green to have high scoring nights and hope Maluach can look comfortable against certain backup bigs, it is Brooks who changes the complexion of the entire roster. The Suns haven't had a defensive dog since Mikal Bridges was in town - and although he's more skilled on that end than Brooks - you can make the argument he is certainly not as tenacious or physical.

Brooks will give up some size against certain opponents, but he's got the thicker frame to bang comfortably with them. The best part of his addition - and it is one Suns fans are going to quickly fall in love with - is how he is going to assume the role of captain on that end of the court. Guys like Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro and even Maluach are going to love playing alongside him.

Last season the Suns gave up a horrible 117.7 points per game, with only three teams allowing more. Yet when Brooks was on the court in Houston, they conceded 111.4. It is not as simple as saying Brooks can carry that number over to Phoenix - he was playing with better defensive players with the Rockets - but he's definitey going to get the Suns trending in the right direction.

That number he posted would put the Suns comfortably in the top 10 in the league, while Brooks had a net rating of plus 3.4 thanks to the 14 points he managed each night. That's right around his career average - although lower than much of his Memphis Grizzlies days - which shows how much he is willing to sacrifice for the good of the team.

This was an issue when the likes of Bradley Beal was on the roster for example, and he never looked comfortable being a third option offensively. Brooks won't even be that, yet he's arguably qualified to do so, and he shot a shade under 40 percent from 3-point range on 6.3 attempts last season, both career highs.

That kind of output makes him a legitimate "3-and-D" threat, which will also mean Dunn doesn't have to try and force himself into that role. The addition of Brooks then will bring a new dimension to the defensive schemes in Phoenix which have been painfully stagnant in the last few years, while offensively his output will be underrated. Don't act surprised by Brooks' future impact in The Valley.