Dillon Brooks has averaged a career-best 21.4 points per game with the Phoenix Suns this season, shooting 46.0% from the field to boot. Given that he scored 18.4 points per game in his 2021-22 campaign with the Memphis Grizzlies, his offensive outburst isn’t altogether too surprising.
However, his improved efficiency (Brooks shot 43.2% from the field in the 2021-22 season) speaks to real growth on the offensive end. Bearing that in mind, his elevated scoring average begs the question: What’s behind the firestorm?
How Has NBA Legend Kobe Bryant Inspired Suns Star Dillon Brooks?
“Definitely Kobe Bryant,” Brooks tells reporters when asked who he draws inspiration from (h/t Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic).
“Still to this day, I’ll watch a 30-minute clip of one-dribble pull-ups, and then the next one right after that is all post-ups… Just learning different moves, learning how he pitches over different defenders,” he added.
Of course, the Suns are no longer considered a title-contender after trading 15-time All-Star selection Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. Even so, Phoenix is a team that can truly win on any given night.
In fact, they’re surprisingly 20-14, their win percentage (.588) significantly higher than it was in the 2024-25 season (.439). Ranked seventh in the Western Conference standings, they’re positioned to make the playoffs largely due to the tandem of Brooks and Devin Booker.
Will Dillon Brooks Be Able To Sustain His Scoring Average?
For those who saw Brooks as primarily a defensive upgrade, the season could hardly have gone any better for him or the team.
Indeed, the only major disappointment is that 2021 No. 2 pick Jalen Green (whom the Suns acquired along with Brooks in the Durant trade) has only appeared in two games. When Green returns, though, Phoenix may be seen as a team that no one wants to face in the postseason.
At least, that’s if his scintillating team debut was truly a sign of what’s to come. In that 13-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Green tallied a team-high 29 points in 23 minutes on 10-20 shooting from the field (6-13 from 3). Booker tacked on 24 points (on 10-22 shooting from the field), lending credence to the belief that they could become a formidable tag team.
Yet, with Brooks out against L.A., the Suns’ top three scorers haven’t had an opportunity to get rolling in the same game. For first-year head coach Jordan Ott, that will be the real challenge as the season wears on.
The situation could change, especially if Green finds himself part of a trade package for the likes of Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga.
