{"id":866281,"date":"2026-10-24T03:52:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T03:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/866281\/"},"modified":"2026-10-24T03:52:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T03:52:20","slug":"dillon-brooks-gets-brutally-honest-on-suns-abysmal-season-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/866281\/","title":{"rendered":"Dillon Brooks gets brutally honest on Suns\u2019 abysmal season opener"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Phoenix\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

PHOENIX \u2013 One loss will not define the Phoenix Suns\u2019 season, but how they respond to it might. After a disappointing season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers, Dillon Brooks simplified what Phoenix needs moving forward. \u201cCommunication, energy, and togetherness,\u201d Brooks said in a clip posted by PHNX. Those three words matter because Phoenix\u2019s biggest problem wasn\u2019t simply falling behind. It was their inability to stop the game from snowballing once Portland seized control.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunication, energy, togetherness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dillon Brooks speaks on where they left some to be desired + where to adjust: \u2b07\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/guTSA6Om3I<\/p>\n

\u2014 PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) October 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Brooks acknowledged Phoenix needed to communicate more effectively and find ways to \u201cstop the bleeding\u201d when an opponent builds momentum. That is an important early lesson for a team still establishing its identity. \u201cIt\u2019s good for us to get slapped in the mouth, and we will learn from it,\u201d Brooks said. That mentality could be more valuable than any tactical adjustment Phoenix makes after one game.<\/p>\n

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Oct 16, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix\u00a0 forward Dillon Brooks (3) attempts a free throw against the Utah Jazz in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Every NBA team will have poor shooting nights, defensive breakdowns, and games where the opponent dictates the pace. Contenders separate themselves by limiting how long those stretches last. For Suns fans, Brooks\u2019 response should provide some encouragement. Phoenix learned this lesson in Game 1, not in the middle of the season. There is plenty of time to correct communication issues without a single October result significantly damaging the Suns\u2019 postseason positioning. More importantly, Brooks is already publicly emphasizing accountability rather than excuses.<\/p>\n

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Feb 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) against Phoenix forward Dillon Brooks (3) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

His comments also highlight why Phoenix valued his presence beyond what appears in a box score. Brooks brings an edge and willingness to confront problems directly, qualities that become increasingly important when adversity hits. The loss itself will eventually become a footnote, but whether Phoenix will develop the communication, energy, and togetherness Brooks demanded could determine if the lessons from it last much longer.<\/p>\n

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Sep 28, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix\u00a0 guard Jalen Green (4), forward Dillon Brooks (3), guard Devin Booker (1), and forward Miles Bridges (22) pose for a photo on Media Day at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

One Cardinals star believed Marvin Harrison Jr. \u2018wasn\u2019t happy\u2019 in Arizona<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content.\u00a0SIGN UP HERE<\/a>\u00a0to unlock our premium content!*
\nReporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account,\u00a0@BenBliklen<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images PHOENIX \u2013 One loss will not define the Phoenix Suns\u2019 season, but how they…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":866282,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3791],"tags":[7,6,2065,472,4045,604],"class_list":["post-866281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-phoenix-suns","tag-basketball","tag-nba","tag-phoenix","tag-phoenix-suns","tag-phoenixsuns","tag-suns"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/117493861329600728","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=866281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866281\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/866282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=866281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=866281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=866281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}