While Phoenix Suns ace Dillon Brooks remains one of the most disliked players in the NBA due to his penchant for agitating and pestering opponents, there's no denying how he has successfully carved out a terrific career. Despite getting selected in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft, the 6'7″ wingman has turned himself into a reliable cog of the Phoenix Suns, leaned on for his defense, scoring, and leadership.
But despite his game's evolution, Brooks has stayed true to his roots as a pesky defender and a pest of the highest order, as he showed on Monday night when the Suns took on the Golden State Warriors.
Brooks has forged plenty of rivalries, and one of his favorite targets has always been the Warriors' Draymond Green. Monday night's game saw another chapter written during a third-quarter scuffle.
According to Matt Barnes , one of the toughest guys the NBA has had, Brooks had a chance to prove what he was made of in that incident. But the footage never lied: he had nothing for Green but a few choice words.
"The interesting part was when Dillon Brooks had to come over and have a chance to be tough, 'cause Dillon Brooks really tried to be tough with a lot of people. But I think the toughness right there got—Like, it wasn't—" Barnes said on "All The Smoke."
"I kind of always wanted to see what Dillon Brooks would do when he ran up on someone he knows that's with the s––t. And he showed me right there he ain't going to do s––t," Barnes added. "So I think he needs to drop the tough act and just be a troll because he showed right there that that tough s––t ain't for him, 'cause he had a chance."
Some could argue that Dillon had just wanted to play peacemaker and de-escalate the situation. However, the way he ran towards the commotion suggested he had other things in mind.
"He had a run at him, and Draymond turned around and saw red instantly. I think he might have seen the light skin and thought it was Jordan Poole for a second," Barnes commented. "But Dillon Brooks didn't want no problems with Draymond."
Barnes explained that the real measure of being a tough guy is being consistent in everything you do. For Matt, that meant standing up to a superstar like Kobe Bryant on one night and then battling the other team's last guy on the bench with the same intensity. He said he doesn't see the same method in Brooks' madness.
"What I don't like about that kind of stuff is when you pick and choose who to be tough against. Like, if you going to be tough and be about that s—t, you got to be tough and about that s––t with everyone, always," Barnes insisted.
The Suns have struggled at the start of this season, posting a 1-4 record. Brooks, though, has done his part, averaging 16.8 points on 49.1 percent shooting, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
However, Barnes has already seen enough to conclude that Brooks isn't a tough guy, just a troll.
"We got to remove the tough label now and just go back to troll. He's good at trolling," Matt proclaimed.
Related: Draymond Green earns first ejection of the season after heated scuffle with Dillon Brooks
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
