The Phoenix Suns have flipped the script in a big way this season. With 30 wins already in the bag before the All-Star break, this team doesn’t just look different from last year-they feel different.
Last season, the Suns were a disappointment, a team that couldn’t quite put it together despite the star power. This year?
They’re one of the league’s most compelling underdog stories. And while injuries have once again tested their depth, this time around, the supporting cast has stepped up-and no one more so than Dillon Brooks.
Yes, that Dillon Brooks.
Once seen as a throw-in during the Kevin Durant trade, Brooks has emerged as one of the most impactful players on this Suns roster. He’s not just filling a role-he’s reshaping the narrative around his game.
And if you’ve been watching closely, you know this isn’t just a hot streak. Brooks has consistently delivered on both ends of the floor, and the Suns have reaped the rewards.
Take that recent game against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Phoenix was without Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Collin Gillespie-three key pieces of their backcourt rotation.
The odds were stacked. But Brooks didn’t just show up; he took over.
He dropped a career-high 40 points and led the Suns to a statement win, blowing out Detroit by nearly 20.
That performance wasn’t an outlier-it was the latest in a string of big-time efforts from Brooks, who has become the team’s go-to option on nights when Booker is sidelined. He’s been the second or third scoring option for most of the season, and when you look at his numbers, it’s clear he’s thriving in that role.
In 31 minutes per game, Brooks is averaging 21.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and shooting a highly efficient 45% from the field, 36% from deep, and 86% from the line. That’s career-best production across the board-and it’s coming with a level of consistency and leadership that’s hard to ignore.
So naturally, the question arises: how did he not make the All-Star team?
The Western Conference is always loaded with talent, and every year there are deserving players who get left out. But Brooks’ omission feels particularly glaring.
He’s been a catalyst for one of the most surprising teams in the league. He’s played in all but six games, stepped up when stars were out, and even earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors for his efforts.
That’s not just a feel-good story-that’s All-Star caliber impact.
And yet, he was left off the roster.
Now, we’re not here to take anything away from the legends of the game. But if we’re talking about this season-what’s happening right now-Brooks has a legitimate case.
His two-way play, his energy, his leadership, and his ability to rise to the occasion have been central to Phoenix’s resurgence. He’s not just filling a stat sheet; he’s helping the Suns win games they wouldn’t have won last year.
This version of Dillon Brooks is the one teams hate to play against and love to have in their locker room. He brings that edge, that fire, that toughness you can’t teach. And for a Suns team that’s been trying to find its identity, he’s helped carve one out: gritty, resilient, and unafraid of the moment.
All-Star nod or not, Brooks is proving his value every night. He’s helped turn a team once labeled a failure into a legitimate playoff threat.
He’s not just rewriting his own narrative-he’s helping rewrite Phoenix’s season. And if he keeps playing like this, the league won’t be able to overlook him much longer.