The Phoenix Suns have been off to a terrific start with already 30 wins under their belt before the All-Star Break. This is a complete 180 compared to last year, as this version of the Suns is viewed as one
of the best underdog stories, whereas last year, they were one of the biggest failures. That being said, the Suns have dealt with injuries just like in past years, but have powered through with the depth pieces rising.
One of those big standouts is Dillon “The Villain” Brooks, who has been a massive piece to the Suns’ success this year.
Brooks has come up clutch multiple times for this team, taking over when he needs to be the major x factor on offense. In a recent game, we just saw the proof of this as Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Collin Gillespie were all out against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. What did Brooks do? Well, he dropped a career-high 40 points and routed them by almost 20 points.
Even with all this positive talk and endorsement from fans and players on the squad, Brooks was still snubbed of an All-Star appearance this year. This has left many fans, including myself, confused about how this could have occurred.
Luckily, the Suns were at least represented with Devin Booker making it, but this still does not fill the void left by Brooks’ not being there. As I stated earlier, he has come up huge for this team and has been the second or third option on most nights this year. Just look at his recent stats while Booker has been out, with Green sporadically playing as well.
Even with his awe-inspiring numbers as of late, he has been helping this team win all season long. For someone who was viewed as a throw-in in the Kevin Durant trade, he has changed that narrative, becoming the most valuable piece from that deal so far. This season, he is averaging some career-high numbers. In 31 minutes, he averages 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.2 blocks while shooting 45/36/86 from the field. An efficient shooting season while being a leader on both ends clearly captures how much he means to this team.
So, how did he not make it, you may be asking? Well, as we can see, this was the list of other reserves from the Western Conference.
Even with Brooks not making it, there were a lot of snubs from the Western Conference. Depending on who you ask, they will give a different name, but with it being in Los Angeles at the Intuit Dome, I would have expected a Clipper to make it with their success as of late. Regardless of that, to me, there is a clear person Brooks could have replaced.
Now, this is no hate on that person, but this year it is clear they are not an All-Star and only got the bid for legacy’s sake, and it is LeBron James. James, who was out to start the season, is having an impressive year 23 for sure, but not one that is clearly better than Brooks. He also is not helping the impact of winning on that team, compared to Brooks for the Suns.
That is why it stings most, because of how much Brooks has meant to the success of this Suns team. He has played in a majority of their games, missing only six so far this season, and every time he is needed, he steps up to deliver. It does not matter on which side of the ball it is; he always has the fighting energy to contribute and make a difference. With that fuel, he powers not only for himself but this team as well to make a difference on both ends.
Brooks was so impactful in fact that he earned Western Conference player of the week, for his tremendous play. This is just more proof that he has been a leader who has stepped up countless times for the squad’s success. He is the definition of someone you want on your team and someone you would hate to go against.
So even if Dillon is not an All-Star and is not going to be represented, he is still an All-Star to me in my heart. He has helped the Suns change their narrative this year by proving those doubters and haters wrong. That is the best fuel for this team to continue succeeding, especially Brooks, who never backs down.
