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Games on the road against quality competition are never easy, and margins can get razor-thin quickly. The Phoenix Suns are coming off two losses where they could have easily gotten out of both. When that starts to happen, the ‘what if syndrome’ starts to set in.<\/p>\n
This time, that conversation revolves around Dillon Brooks.<\/p>\n
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Everything that Brooks brought to Phoenix, the attitude, the toughness, the edge, he rebuilt this team. His style of basketball, and the way he draws his teammates to that same mentality, is stamped on every Sun you see now. I wouldn’t trade that for anyone. This team needed a cultural overhaul, and Brooks delivered.<\/p>\n
Having said that, the next hurdle for him is self-awareness. If that part sharpens even a little bit, the Suns are likely to add a few marks to the win column.<\/p>\n
Watch last night. With Devin Booker and Jalen Green out, a combined $86.4 million, it was clear someone had to shoulder the burden. That person was Grayson Allen. He finished with 33 points on 11-of-25 shooting and set the tone offensively from the opening tip. To do that on the road, against the top team in the Eastern Conference, the team with the second-best defensive rating in the NBA, is no small thing to ask. However, what stood out the most was how the Suns remained true to who they are. They compete with each other. Bamunya who is in contact with him. They took it out. That says a lot about the culture they are building.<\/p>\n
They had a lot of obstacles to clear. Jalen Duren stays in the paint. A body group that is very willing to retreat. But one of the biggest obstacles ended up being Dillon Brooks himself.<\/p>\n
The unemployment was brutal. He finished 4-of-16 from the field for 16 points and had 6 fouls. On paper, that looks like a typical night for Dillon Brooks, especially when the stars are lined up. He’s always ready to shoot, and I’m not going to beat him to that sentiment. But there are nights when you can hear it early. When you know you don’t have it. Last night was one of those nights for Brooks.<\/p>\n
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I’d like to see more respect for Collin Gillespie or Jordan Goodwin than we got with Brooks’ offense. Gillespie took 10 shots and converted 18 points. Goodwin took 8 shots and finished with 7 points. Both were giving the team a clean inside flow.<\/p>\n
A similar theme emerged against Miami. Extreme anger. Emotions crawl over the line. The flow of the game came late while the Sun was still in it. Every team needs an enforcer, and Phoenix needed one that night. But self-awareness must intervene at some point. There is no need to exaggerate the following. That’s how Brooks picked up a technical that was later overturned. That’s how he ended up scoring 1 after missing three that would have tied the game in the last minute. Those moments are important. The Heat capitalized, the lead ballooned, and the Suns never recovered.<\/p>\n
In the past two games, Brooks has shot 3-of-16 from deep. That comes out to a cool 18.8%. No one is asking him to be something he is not. This is about self-awareness. It’s about understanding what helps the team the most at the time.<\/p>\n
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At best he can give this team a chance. The opportunity comes from seeing when the shot isn’t there, staying grounded, and resisting mistakes that don’t add anything and disrupt the rhythm. The Suns are a team built on flow. When that flow is interrupted, everything freezes.<\/p>\n
Brooks can bring the antics. He can bring an edge. Those things have value, especially when Devin Booker and Jalen Green are there to bolster the offense. That is part of his role. When those two are missing, and he is asked to be a reinforcement, the role changes. The edge is still important. Walking over it does not.<\/p>\n
So far in this journey, he has crossed that line. Two games. Eleven mistakes. Two flags. One of the technologies that was later withdrawn. The point Norman Powell made still counts. That part is not refundable.<\/p>\n
Yes, actually the figure is 85%, 15% Dillon Brooks. You love what it gives you most of the time, and you’re bracing yourself for the part that makes your blood pressure rise. That’s the deal. That’s Dillon Brooks’ experience. He lives near Dillon. Dies for Dillon. In the last two games, the Sun have been dead by it.<\/p>\n
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That’s why getting Devin Booker and Jalen Green back is so important. Their presence slows down Brooks’ appetite and allows him to return to a role where he thrives. A bug. What’s annoying. A touching anchor that leans down without taking the blame. If that comes with a more cerebral sense and heightened self-awareness, even better. That’s the version of Dillon Brooks this team needs when it’s whole again.<\/p>\n
Until then? The focus should be on making winning plays, not making plays that prevent you from winning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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