Dillon Brooks
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Dillon Brooks of the Phoenix Suns.
After a tumultuous season in which the Phoenix Suns had hopes of being contenders but missed the playoffs, they underwent an offseason overhaul. During that process, they acquired Dillon Brooks, who has spearheaded the Suns’ turnaround. The Suns’ success and Brooks’ contribution are a big reason Charles Barkley believes he should be an All-Star, offering a surprising comparison.
Currently, the Suns are sixth in the Western Conference, with a 28-19 record, already eight wins behind last season’s total. Brooks is averaging a career-high 20.5 points per game while serving as the team’s defensive anchor. Throughout his career, Brooks has been a pest on defense, earning second-team All-Defensive honors in 2022-23.
NBACentral
Charles Barkley says Dillon Brooks deserves to be an All-Star
“What’s different than what he does than Draymond? What Dillon Brooks is doing for the Phoenix Suns is similar and comparable to what Draymond does for the Warriors when they were rolling, and he was like the third or
Defense is a big reason why Barkley, Hall of Fame and former MVP with the Suns, believes Brooks should be an All-Star. Barkley compared Brooks’ All-Star bid to that of the former Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond Green,by saying, “What Dillon Brooks is doing for the Phoenix Suns is similar and comparable to what Draymond does for the Warriors when they were rolling, and he was like the third or fourth All-Star.”
The comparison does make a lot of sense, not to mentionBrooks and Green’s own heated rivalry. Both players are known for their aggressive play style and physicality on defense. Brooks leads the league with 14 technical fouls this season, while Green’s history ofsuspensions is well known. In fact, Brooksnearly just picked up his 15th technical in the Suns’ last game, beating the Brooklyn Nets 106-102. However, the NBA hasrescinded his technical. Both players anchor their team’s defense in such a way that makes them indispensable, creating the All-Star conversation.
Dillon Brooks Case to be an All-Star
Dillon Brooks
GettyDillon Brooks with the ball, posting up a defender.
The case to get Brooks into the All-Star game is a difficult one. Barkley acknowledges this when he first mentions picking Brooks to be an All-Star.He says, “I hope he makes it, but I don’t think he is going to make it. But I wanted people to know I appreciate what he is bringing to the table.”
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“I put Dillon Brooks [on my all-star reserves team]… I think we’re going to announce it tomorrow, probably”
Barkley doesn’t have an official All-Star vote, but before he announces on ESPN soon, he told @TermineRadio and @JumpShot8 he’s going to pick Dillon Brooks as a reserve.
So what is Brooks bringing to the table? Well, the obvious one is on defense. This season, the Suns are allowing 111.6 points per game, which is the fifth-fewest in the NBA. Furthermore, the Suns have the 10th-best defensive rating in the league at 113.2. Both of those are massive improvements over last season, where the Suns allowed 116.6 points per game and had the second-worst defensive rating.
Now, the Suns’ improvement on defense is not all on Brooks’s shoulders. The Suns hired head coach Jordan Ott this offseason, and he has helped create the team’s identity around their defense. Defense is clearly the focal point, because even though the Suns have only scored 114 points per game, ranking 24th, they have a 2.5 net rating, with the defense doing the heavy lifting.
However, Brooks is not just leading the way on defense. His career-high in points per game this season is second on the team, behind Devin Booker. This season also could arguably be Brooks’ best three-point shooting season.Unlike last season, when he had a shot at a career-best from behind the arc at 39.7%, that was on 6.3 attempts, making 2.5 per game. This season, Brooks is shooting 34.6% on seven attempts per game, making 2.4 per game.
What Comes Next For Brooks
Dillon Brooks
GettyDillon Brooks taking a three.
There really is not much time for Brooks to change the coaches’ minds, who vote on the All-Star game reserves. However, that does not stop Brooks from having a massive opportunity in front of him.
The Suns are currently dealing with injuries to two of their primary offensive players. Booker has missed the last two games with anankle injury, which will cause him to miss more time. On top of that, Jalen Green, who was traded to the Suns from the Houston Rockets alongside Brooks, has only played in four games,dealing with a hamstring injury.
Hoop Central
Dillon Brooks tonight:
26 Points 3 Rebounds 3 Assists 9/15 FGM 34 Minutes
However, in the Suns’ win over the Nets, Brooks had 26 points, hitting two of his five 3s. It is going to be a lot to ask of Brooks, but for at least a few games while Booker is out, he will need to be the Suns’ offensive and defensive engine.