The Los Angeles Lakers were expected to extend their seven-game winning streak against the Phoenix Suns, who had lost two straight games coming into the one at the Crypto.com Arena. However, Dillon Brooks had other ideas, returning with 33 points in the absence of Devin Booker, who hopped off the court with two minutes left in the first quarter.

Brooks’ performance was enough to earn some high praise from NBA legend DeMarcus Cousins.

“Dillon Brooks deserves more credit than he gets. He was the heartbeat of that Memphis team when they were making their runs. It’s been kind of downhill for them. I think he brought a really tough culture to Houston now with his time there. And now he is doing the same kind of thing,” Cousins explained on Run It Back, per a video posted on X by ClutchPoints.

Brooks went 15-26 from the field, making two three-pointers whilst also contributing with a steal.

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“So everywhere this guy has gone, he has brought this culture with him. I just hate how that kind of gets unnoticed when we talk about him,” Cousins said, claiming that alongside his improved offensive numbers, Brooks’ defense has also been better.

“He is fearless, he wants to guard the best players every night. You need those type of guys to be a winning team and makes runs. He falls in the category of Marcus Smart, Draymond Green, Dennis Rodman. You want that type of guy on your team,” Cousins concluded.

Brooks has undoubtedly been resolute in defence, averaging 1.7 steals per game, a stark improvement from the .8 he managed last season. That has come alongside his points average jumping to 22.3 per game. 

Brooks has also increased his shot average, attempting 17.7 FGs per game compared to 11.9 last season. He has emerged as the Suns’ second-highest scorer behind Booker and continues to impress on the other end of the court.