After joining the Phoenix Suns during the offseason, Dillon Brooks has had a standout season, including in technical fouls.
On Thursday, Brooks made history by becoming the second player ever to reach 16 technical fouls before the All-Star break, following DeMarcus Cousins in 2017. As a result, he will face a mandatory one-game suspension when the Suns play again on February 19, which is 11 days later than Cousins’ early suspension.
Dillon Brooks leads in technical fouls
Brooks hit the 16 technical foul mark in just 49 games, suggesting he could end the season with around 25. He is three technicals ahead of Luka Doncic from the Los Angeles Lakers and four ahead of Isaiah Stewart from the Detroit Pistons. However, Stewart has two ejections, while Brooks has one, and Stewart also received a seven-game suspension for fighting.
Additionally, Brooks ranks second in the NBA with four flagrant fouls, tied with Desmond Bane from the Orlando Magic, and he trails only Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves. To put Brooks’ performance into perspective, he has five more technical fouls and one more flagrant than Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, who is often mentioned in discussions about technical fouls.
This season is not new for Brooks, who had 16 technicals last season, leading to a one-game suspension. He tied with Edwards for the league lead in 2023-24, and previously, Brooks outscored Green in complaints, earning two suspensions. In the 2021-22 season, Brooks had 12 technical fouls in just 32 games, along with one ejection and a flagrant foul, not far from Rasheed Wallace’s record of 41 techs in the 2000-01 season.
Dillon Brooks is excelling, yet fouling more
Brooks is enjoying a key role with the Suns, following his trade designed to bring Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. He is averaging 21.2 points from a career-high 17.6 shots per game, with a shooting percentage of 44.1.
However, his aggressive style has led to costly mistakes for his team. Despite having the best offensive season of his career, Brooks has also made several questionable plays that have contributed to his track record of technical fouls.