PHOENIX – Phoenix Suns wing Dillon Brooks has a new league year resolutions, or as he phrased it, a villain goal for 2026-2027 season. The YouTube channel NBAT2 spent 24 hours with the 30-year-old in Toronto, as the Canadian trains and participates in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. In the video, Brooks lays out a goal for next year in Phoenix to limit what he sees as his biggest weakness: technical fouls.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Brooks had 17 last season, leading to a one-game suspension. The nine-year pro sees easy way to cut down that number, which could lead the Suns to more wins in 2026-2027.
Apr 25, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) talks to referee Kevin Cutler (34) in the first half during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Brooks on villain goal for 2026-2027:
“My villain goal will probably be not to get 17 technical fouls in a season. We’ll see if I can save them for the end. At least half of them are earned. Some of them are by the same refs. And some of them I don’t need to get. Costs my team some wins.
“It’s the energy that we live by, so some of them are called for, to get your point across.”
Aug 6, 2024; Paris, France; Canada small forward Dillon Brooks (24) leaves the court after the loss against France in a men’s basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Brooks’ personality and passion is a massive reason for the franchise’s turnaround last season. His career-high 20.2 points per game helped increase their win total by nine games and make it back into the playoffs. He nearly earned his first All-Star appearance and will used his snub as motivation for his next campaign. To get to that point, Brooks will need to improve his game, and he sees the surplus of technical fouls as a negative.
In 2025-2026, Brooks set career marks in techs, ejections and flagrant fouls. His importance to the Suns can’t be overstated and getting thrown out of the game isn’t a recipe for success. The franchise’s identity is gritty basketball, but there must be a comprise to limit giving away free points to the opponents. While acknowledging some refs’ bias, Brooks sees an avenue to limit the amount of technical fouls next year.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
