Suns’ Dillon Brooks on being aggressive on defense, ‘villain’ persona
Phoenix Suns’ Dillon Brooks described his physical style of play and bringing “competitive fire” to every game.
Diannie Chavez and Diana Payan/The Republic
Brooks knows there is more to him beyond his reputation as a villain, but he’s totally fine with how people tend to view him.Averaging 14 points and shooting a career-high 39.7% from 3 last season, Brooks is gearing up for his ninth season looking to be a difference maker on his third team.Brooks made the all-defensive second team in his last year in Memphis in 2022-23 as the Grizzlies were third in the NBA in defensive rating.
Phoenix Suns wing Dillon Brooks is unapologetic when it comes to his villain persona.
So much so that he’s identified a “villian jr.” on his new team.
“I’m going to let you guys figure out who he is,” a smiling Brooks said. “Someone you wouldn’t expect.”
Brooks is more than just someone who is passionate, outspoken, talks trash, gets into skirmishes with players and has drawn an astounding 49 technical total fouls in the past three seasons based on FOX Sports NBA stats.
He’s a student of the game, defends multiple positions with physicality, knocks down 3s and is a winner.
Brooks knows there is more to him beyond his reputation as a villain, but he’s totally fine with how people tend to view him.
“For me, when you meet me, you like me,” Brooks said. “You don’t meet me or you just play against me, you hate me, and that’s the way I like it.”
Brooks wears this scowl almost like a badge of honor.
“Dillon just raises the floor,” Suns first-year coach Jordan Ott said. “He walks in the building, his juice, his edge is felt.”
The Suns are all good with all that Brooks brings to the table because they see it helping them establish a tough, gritty identity in their rebuild.
“Bringing in players like Dillon Brooks, who brings that edge, who brings that toughness, that competitiveness,” Suns general manager Brian Gregory said. “Coming off his best year maybe as a pro with that experience.”
Averaging 14 points and shooting a career-high 39.7% from 3 last season, Brooks is gearing up for his ninth season looking to be a difference maker on his third team.
Brooks has been part of four playoff runs as he helped the Houston Rockets finish with the second-best record in the Western Conference last season at 52-30.
“For anybody that plays basketball at a high level, there’s always that one person on the other team that’s a pest or who is going to aggravate players,” said Suns guard Jalen Green, who was Brooks’ teammate in Houston for the last two seasons.
“Pick them up full court and I think DB does that for us. Whatever team he’s on, he’s done it in Memphis, he’s done it in Houston. I don’t see him changing or doing anything differently now. He’s going to come in, he’s going to talk, he’s going to play hard and he’s going to bring that dog mentality,” Green added. “I think that was the change for the last two years (in Houston), him coming in and just picking up full court and being a dog and that’s what we needed.”
The Rockets went 22-60 in Green’s second NBA season in Houston in 2022-23. They hired Ime Udoka as head coach, signed Brooks to a four-year deal for $80 million and nearly doubled their win total in 2023-24 in going 41-41 and just missing the playoffs.
Houston made the playoffs last season after another uptick in victories with Brooks starting all 147 games he played in Houston. The Rockets went 85-62 with Brooks in the lineup.
Brooks is expected to start at one of the forward positions for the Suns this season.
“I don’t see nothing changing now and I think he’s going to bring that dog mentality here and that’s going to help us a lot defensively,” Green added.
Dillon Brooks on battles with Devin Booker when he was in Memphis: “He was a great challenge to guard. Different game than a lot of guys have. 3-level scorer. Tough to guard. Plays physical, but I knew that he didn’t like physicality then. So I could play physical with him, but… pic.twitter.com/SmB0pX2xXT
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) September 25, 2025‘Happy he’s on our side’
Devin Booker has had his share of intense battles with Brooks over the years. Brooks looks back at those matchups, especially when he was in Memphis, respecting Booker’s game, but also taking pride in making life pure hell for the Suns star.
“He was a great challenge to guard,” Brooks said. “Different game than a lot of guys have. Three-level scorer. Tough to guard. Plays physical, but I knew that he didn’t like physicality then. So I could play physical with him, but we’re going to get through that this year for sure.”
Oh, it got heated between those two, but Booker was all good with it.
“It’s respect at the end of the day,” Booker said. “That’s what we’re out here to do is compete at the highest level. I’d rather it more that way when things get chippy than the softer route.”
“It’s respect at the end of the day.”
Devin Booker on having Dillon Brooks as a Phoenix Suns teammate after competing against him in heated battles.
“Happier on our side of it now.” #Suns pic.twitter.com/4p1hjSUG90
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) September 26, 2025
Brooks contacted Booker right away when he joined Phoenix in the Kevin Durant trade before the 2025 draft. The Suns dealt Durant to the Rockets for Brooks, Green and the 10th overall pick in that draft who ended up being Duke freshman 7-footer Khaman Maluach.
Now teammates, Booker and Brooks have had dinner together and been in communication. Booker has welcomed him and sees his value to the team.
“I think the fans, everybody is going to love (Brooks) and everybody is going to be happy he’s on our side of it now,” Booker said. “I’m excited to get out there and compete with him.”
Brooks has always been an intense player, which has led to a share of back-and-forth with players and fans, and that villain label.
He decided to really embrace it when facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 playoffs, calling LeBron James “old” and not stopping there.
“I poke bears,” Brooks said back then, in what proved to be his final season with the Memphis Grizzlies. “I don’t respect no one until they come and give me 40 (points).”
Suns’ Dillon Brooks describes his approach to studying opponents
Phoenix Suns’ Dillon Brooks explains how he studies opponents’ plays and how he hopes to grow younger teammates’ defensive game.
Diannie Chavez and Diana Payan/ The Republic
Brooks decided then to take this to another level.
“I had to look myself in the face with Memphis not wanting me and trying to figure out a new path in the NBA,” Brooks said. “I had to look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘How bad do you want it and from then on, I’ve been relishing in open arms the villain persona, however you want to put it, but that just comes from me being just super competitive, trying different things on the defensive end that’s going to annoy, wear down on the offensive player.”
Brooks made the all-defensive second team in his last year in Memphis in 2022-23 as the Grizzlies were third in the NBA in defensive rating.
Last season, the Rockets ranked fifth in defensive rating with Brooks playing a key role.
“That’s what gets you into the playoffs,” said Brooks about the importance of defending. “Win games. Even when you’re not shooting the ball good that night, you know you can hang your hat on defense. You’re not going to hit every shot.”
In stark contrast, Phoenix ranked 27th in defensive rating last season. If the Suns make a dramatic turn on that end, Brooks will likely have a say in it. He spends hours studying film to prepare for the game, observing both ends, his individual matchup and so much more.
“I’m watching if I get switched off onto a center,” Brooks said. “I got to know all their plays and when I have all that knowledge, I’m able to communicate it to my teammates even if it’s before the game, during the game, but even after, what we did wrong, what we need to work on. Just continuously watching film so that I’m ready.”
Brooks does more than just defend.
He has averaged double figures in scoring in seven of his eight NBA seasons and is a career 35.5% 3-point shooter, which is just slightly better than Booker’s career average of 35.4%.
Last season, Brooks cooked the Boston Celtics from deep, hitting 10-of-15 3s, both career highs in scoring 36 points to lead the Rockets past the then-defending NBA champions.
Brooks had never won in TD Garden. Udoka sought his first win against his former team.
That was motivation enough, but once his 3 started falling, Brooks found himself in that perfect storm of having the entire building hating him and in the palm of his hands.
“To me, that’s better feeling than being in front of your own crowd,” Brooks said. “That’s just me being a competitor. That’s me being smash mouth, in your face. You’re going to see a lot of those games more. I’ve put in a lot more work being consistent with my jump shot, the way I follow through, my base and my balance. In that game, I felt like I couldn’t miss.”
That’s Dillon Brooks.
Confident, brash, intense and just what the Suns need.
“Every day he’s in the building, he helps our entire building,” Ott concluded.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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