If one thing is clear about this Suns’ new identity, it is that Dillon Brooks is becoming a significant factor in it. Regardless of whether that is him hunting every shot opportunity or getting underneath
the opponent’s skin, Brooks is doing his best to contribute in any way.
This is nice to see for the fans, as after trading away two of their Big Three, they wanted to see some difference-makers this year. Brooks has so far shown to be that feisty engine on the defensive end, and it is even rubbing off on some teammates early on. This grit-and-grind mentality and being relentless on the defensive end, regardless of the score, has not been seen in Phoenix as of late, so this is a breath of fresh air for every fan enjoying these games, even if the outcome is not great.
He has a feisty defensive spark
Dillon Brooks is known for being the opponent’s antagonist on the court. Hence, his nickname “The Villain” that he has embodied right from the get-go here in Phoenix. Brooks has been seen to get into it with multiple opponents so far in just three games for the Suns, and this has sparked some light within the team’s defense.
In this first clip, you can see that right on display. Brooks took the assignment from DeRozan, as before this, he had 14 points and did not miss from the field. Brooks picks up DeRozan attacking the basket, but does his best to force him away. While doing this, he is swiping at the ball, trying to create a turnover, something that changed the pace of the game in the second half. Even though DeRozan gets the shot off, the closeout by Brooks and the continued effort to slow him down, allowing the Mark Williams rotation to contest, gets the stop here.
In this next play, a long rebound off a missed three from the Kings lands into DeRozan’s hands. Even if he makes the shot, I like how Brooks stuck with him and even got the shot contest after the spin move had already fooled him. The activity shows that he wants to stay in the game and try again after getting beaten, which we need.
Once again in this play, DeRozan gets the better of him by scoring, but Brooks does not give up.
He is stuck to DeRozan like a glove and is making sure that any shot is not an easy one. He accomplishes that by forcing DeRozan into a tough mid-range that he ends up hitting, but this effort is not something to discount. Added to the fact that with DeRozan being guarded by Brooks, it showed to slow down the Kings’ offensive momentum,
Remember how I stated Brooks was also shooting the crap out of the ball early on? Well, here he gets a nice mid-range shot on DeRozan, whom he had been jarring with all quarter. Brooks, so far for the Suns, has taken more shots than many fans may like, but it is necessary without their second-best scorer, Jalen Green. Also shown in this clip is a part of that “villain energy” Brooks also possesses, as he talks some smack to DeRozan after the make.
This type of mentality — “I am that big dog, look at that shot, come do that to me next” — truly motivates me on the screen, so I do not see how this does not spread like wildfire among his teammates. So far, we have seen that early this year with some of the recent games. Brooks was seen getting into it with DeRozan here.
He also caused some havoc against the Los Angeles Clippers.
This type of energy is infectious, though, as Royce O’Neale and Collin Gillespie also started to get scrappy throughout this contest. We saw O’Neale slapping Harden’s stomach, which got the two into it a bit, but Gillespie was also shrugging people off after they scored against them, clearly ready to attack on the other end. These moments are enormous, as we did not see this kind of fight last season, and we are only three games into the season. The amount of give a damn, and I am going to work harder than the opponent even if I am down 20, is EVIDENT on the court with Brooks being the captain of that ship.
This type of effort carried over into their next game vs. the Clippers, with Brooks being that defensive menace again.
This play, once again, shows Brooks’ refusal to give up on a play. With all the pressure on the right side of the court, this is an easy opportunity for a Kawhi Leonard three-pointer, as he is wide open. Brooks realizes this once he sees the pass go over his head, and makes the late rotation for the shot contest. He was out of the play, and even if he was the closest guy, he still made the effort to get the stop.
With him being late, Leonard still gets the shot off, but Brooks’ late effort throws Leonard’s focus off, and he misses the shot.
Similar to the Kings game, Brooks is always looking for that steal and tries to get one off Kawhi after he picks him up. This aggressiveness from the start is just lovely to see, but let’s keep evaluating how well he sticks to Leonard, too. Once Brooks gets beaten, he tries to draw all the contact, from Leonard driving to the basket to trying to pull a charge. This type of play is NOT seen in past seasons.
After they got beaten, they just gave up. Even if he does not get a shot contest, his positioning forces Leonard into a missed shot.
We have been talking mainly about his defensive impact, but let’s look at his hustle, too. At this point, the Suns are basically out of this game. The Clippers have controlled the last two quarters and have the Suns on their toes. Yet, Brooks still fights through anything to try to produce a positive.
With a blocked shot on Devin Booker by the former Sun, Derrick Jones Jr., Ivica Zubac gets the ball and looks to start a nice play for the Clippers in transition. He throws it down the court to Kawhi Leonard, but here comes Dillon Brooks, reading the play like a DB in the NFL. He swats the ball into the air, lands it to retain possession, and gets the steal for the Suns. This is EXACTLY what fans want to see every night.
Final Thoughts
Dillon Brooks has been a fun addition to this new Suns’ culture and identity. He represents everything the fans and the franchise want to see on the court. Hard work, determination, the will not to quit — he seems to be representing that definition of the Suns currently. Regardless of how you feel about his offensive input and shot selection, you can be impressed at least with how much he cares on the court. For me, this is so refreshing to see and inspires me with the Suns’ basketball we see, even if the outcome is a loss.
