Who else but Dillon Brooks? From the moment he landed in The Valley in the Kevin Durant trade, the Canadian international set about endearing himself to the Phoenix Suns and their fans.
You can pay him no bigger compliment than the fact he is a player who is hated by so many fans of other teams around the league, and yet when he’s on your roster you love him.
Suns’ 2025-26 season will forever be personified by Brooks
Prior to the season getting underway most expected the Suns to sink to the bottom of the Western Conference and struggle to crack 30 wins. Brooks took that personally and was an immediate floor raiser, bringing a level of intensity to every regular season game that his teammates had no choice but to match. Brooks doesn’t deserve all of the credit for Collin Gillespie’s own breakout campaign, but he sure played a part in “Villain Jr.” becoming as important as he ultimately did.
There were the 20.2 points per game (a career high) and the mild All-Star snub vibes given the team would ultimately win 45 games and make the postseason. For all the talk about Devin Booker needing a co-star to be competitive, Brooks assumed that role immediately and never looked back. Yes some of the technical fouls could have been avoided, but that’s part of the deal when Brooks is on your roster and nobody was complaining.
Number 10 - Jamaree Bouyea took his NBA career off life support
Number 9 - Brian Gregory banished the 'Michigan Guy' tag
Number 8 - Grayson Allen finally fulfilled his destiny in Phoenix
Number 7 - Jordan Ott came along at the perfect time for the Suns
Number 6 - Oso Ighodaro finally found his groove in Phoenix
Number 5 - Mark Williams won't be appearing here again
Number 4 - Jordan Goodwin made greatest individual leap in Phoenix
Number 3 - Devin Booker the constant Suns' needed
Number 2 - Collin Gillespie personified Suns' fighting spirit
Brooks saved his best for last by being the team’s best player in a series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, and despite being swept he followed that up the way only he knows how to. By sitting court side and laughing at LeBron James. He also played brilliantly for first year head coach Jordan Ott and was exactly what the Suns needed to build an identity on defending every possession and making life difficult for opponents every night.
If anything having Miles Bridges along for the ride this time out could make his life even easier, as Brooks can now spend less time battling opponents who he is giving up a ton of size to. Not that he ever backed down from the challenge, and his ability to play across both forward spots allowed others such as Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and even Jamaree Bouyea to flourish and help the Suns win games.
Truly his versatility helped create different lineups for coach Ott to use each night en route to some impressive wins.
An extension seems likely and the organization have made some personnel moves this offseason. But there is no reason why the best can’t be yet to come for the 30-year-old in Phoenix. He’s already proven he can be their most influential player in a season when they easily defied expectations.
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