For five minutes, there might have been a lingering fear that Dillon Brooks is spiraling after his injury. The run-ins with the law seemed to reinforce that conspiracy theory. Then Brooks comes back on March 31, playing like he never left, picking up another technical, and all about basketball. The notorious on-court trash-talker held his tongue for almost a month. Now Brooks officially addressed his March 6 arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence, ending a nearly month-long silence as he reintegrates into the Suns’ rotation.
Speaking to reporters following a shootaround on April 2, Brooks acknowledged the gravity of the situation. However, his primary objective is helping Phoenix secure its standing in a volatile Western Conference.
“Yeah, I’m just focused on basketball,” Brooks stated. “Don’t want any distraction now. We’re making a playoff run and that’s what I’m focused on.”
Concerns for his mental as much physical health mounted after the incident when the Suns lost the home game to the Chicago Bulls. Around 1 am, Scottsdale cops pulled him over for swerving. In the bodycam footage released later, Brooks, who was recovering from surgery on his fractured left hand, was released from custody approximately two hours later.
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The 30-year-old reportedly took immediate accountability within the organization. He apologized to his teammates and coaching staff later that same day. It was a swift move to refocus not just himself, but his teammates too.
Devin Booker, Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Jordan Ott and more have only expressed excitement and anticipation about having Brooks rejoin the lineup. Perhaps this incident was the movie-style plot device that united the underdog team under Dillon the Villain.
The Phoenix Suns are taking a cautious approach with Dillon Brooks
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His suspension for getting a record 16 techs and his fractured hand were Phoenix’s nightmares. A potential DUI arrest could’ve worsened the situation. However, that was resolved quickly and only rehabbing his injury was the next big step in getting him back.
There’s still a little concern as Brooks has been wearing a bandage on his hand while playing. While he assured reporters that the hand “feels fine,” he said that the protective wrap is a necessity for the next two weeks to protect him from re-aggravating the injury. He admitted that it limited his shooting, but he’s going to “Just keep working at it,” and “I’ll be able to in the long run make tough shots and be able to handle the ball a lot better.”
Before this injury, Brooks was averaging career highs and was on the verge of a breakout season. He’s already back to his usual antics, playing almost 40 minutes, and picking up a 17th tech. One more and he will serve another suspension. But the Suns aren’t going to hold him back back. As Devin Booker put it, “Definitely on brand.”
