Dillon Brooks starts a brawl just minutes into his Suns preseason debut
Dillon Brooks wasted no time bringing his trademark intensity to Phoenix, but the Suns must make sure his edge doesn’t cross the line.
D illon Brooks needed less than five minutes to remind everyone what comes with the package.
The Phoenix Suns forward was involved in a heated confrontation with John Collins , the Detroit Pistons ' newcomer, at the start of Monday's preseason opener at Little Caesars Arena. Collins ended up putting his hand on Brooks' neck. After a lengthy review, officials assessed Collins a Flagrant 1 foul and Brooks a technical.
The sequence began when the two collided battling for position near the rim. Collins grabbed an offensive rebound with 7:25 left in the first quarter, Brooks tried to knock the ball away and was called for a personal foul. Collins reacted immediately, got in Brooks ' face and put his hand around his neck as players and officials separated them.
Brooks' intensity, back in the spotlight
For anyone who watched Brooks last season, the scene wasn't surprising. His identity in the NBA is built on physical defense, constant trash talk and a willingness to make opponents uncomfortable, an intensity that has sometimes gotten out of hand. He led the league with 17 technical fouls last year and has been suspended six times in his career.
Phoenix knew what kind of player it was getting. It acquired him from Houston in the Kevin Durant trade, and Brooks averaged a career-high 20.2 points in 56 games and helped the Suns return to the playoffs. In August, the team rewarded him with a three-year, $73 million extension through the 2029-30 season. General manager Brian Gregory said at the time that his "toughness, competitiveness and work ethic" represent the Suns' identity.
The confrontation came just days after Brooks' legal situation returned to the headlines. He was arrested after a traffic stop on March 6 in Scottsdale while recovering from a fractured left hand. In late September, prosecutors filed a misdemeanor DUI charge , with a hearing scheduled for Oct. 28 .
He also faces separate misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and speeding stemming from a January arrest, with a hearing in November . The Suns said last week that they had already addressed the March matter with him and made no further comment.
Phoenix didn't give him $73 million so he would stop being Dillon Brooks : his physical, defiant style is part of what makes him valuable. But there is always a line that can't be crossed, and on Sunday it was Collins who crossed it.
The Suns need that intensity. They just need Brooks to keep it under control.
