Fluke Deez.
Preparation finally synced up with opportunity for Dillon Brooks in his 9th season in the NBA, as he shot his way to the brink of an All-Star bid, but the naysayers in the Suns content sphere are tugging on his jersey, trying to pull the Villain back down to earth. They want to give away his shots to Miles Bridges and relegate his shine to the corner three, but nobody puts Dillon in the corner.
For the duration of his career, prior to his arrival in Phoenix, the turnaround jumper has been
violently shaking the bars of its cage screaming to be unleashed, and now that it’s out in the world along with the rest of Dillon’s bag, good luck getting it back in the cage Last season Dillon averaged a career high 20.2 points a game on 17.1 shots and finished second on the team behind Booker in both points and attempts. His 17.1 shots were the most field goals he’s ever attempted in a season, and considerably more than the 13.0 FGAs he’s averaged over his career. Comparing the stats from his career year to his career averages, that’s the biggest difference that stands out. Opportunity.
Dillon took more two-point attempts than he has in any season since he was at the height of his powers in Memphis, navigating in the space made by Booker’s gravity to convert on 49.2% of his 10.5 attempts. This ties a career high he had set in his first year under Ime Udoka in Houston. He paired that with 6.6 three-point attempts a game, a new feature of his game he picked up his last season in Memphis and carried over to Houston. Last year for the Suns, Dillon shot 34.4% from three, which is a little down from his career average of 35.3% and significantly down from his career high his last season on the Rockets of 39.5%.
None of the numbers in Dillon’s career year are significant outliers compared to his past performances except for the number of attempts. So why is there a widely held assumption that Dillon Brooks needs to take the back seat when Miles Bridges arrives? Last year was Robin to Booker’s Batman, and this season the talking heads think he’s not even going to be Alfred? Is he going to be some kinda prop on the three-point line and defensive agitator? Whatever the Suns’ intentions for Dillon Brooks next year, I don’t see that happening. Not after he’s gotten a taste. Not in his age 30 season. How many more opportunities like he had last season will he get? He’s not going to let any more slip by. Nor should he.
In the course of getting swept by the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs, the Suns found some things out about themselves and about Dillon Brooks. The Thunder forced the ball out of Devin Booker’s hands and into the hands of Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. Dillon took 21.3 shots per game during the series in which the Thunder dogwalked the Suns 4 straight games. Dillon responded by putting up 26 points a game, improving on his regular season field goal percentage and falling just a few percentage points under his regular season three-point average on a whopping 8.0 attempts. Dillon had two 30-point games that series, and finished game four with an efficient 23 pts on 10-of-19 shooting in what ended up being the Suns’ best showing.
Jalen Green finished the Oklahoma series averaging 20.6 points a game on 38.6% shooting and shot 20.9% from three.
Miles Bridges has never played in a playoff game.
Dillon Brooks doesn’t need to prove he can Robin for Book. Jalen Green does. Miles Bridges does. I expect the Suns to Robin by committee depending on which way the ball flows. I also expect Brooks to continue to see open space operating underneath Booker’s shadow. I fail to see the reasoning in removing shots from Dillon Brooks to give to other similarly flawed players. The Suns’ efficiency will need to improve from Booker down the roster. Dillon Brooks seems to have already gotten a jump on it, playing for Team Canada.
In Team Canada’s game against Puerto Rico, Dillon went 7-of-12 from the field for 15 points. Against the Jamaican team, he went 8-of-12 for 22 points. Those are the kind of nights I’m sure the Suns would love to see from Dillon Brooks next season, but he can give them more.
Dillon stepped up in big moments throughout the season. In the play-in loss that would have spared the Suns having to play the Thunder, Brooks went 6-of-10, 2-of-4 from three, for 20 points in a game where the ball went to Jalen to the tune of 35 points on 29 shots. Booker and the bench fell short that night, but Dillon did everything the Suns needed him to do. As he had done all season.
Dillon’s 2025-26 was no fluke. He’s not going to take a back seat to anybody on the offense, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s entitled to the shotgun seat to open this upcoming year. Nobody has ever gotten ahead by doubting Dillon Brooks.
He gave you fair warning: beware.
