Dillon Brooks’ former Grizzlies teammate is making a bold All-Star statement

Dillon Brooks continued his career-best campaign on Monday, powering up Phoenix Suns to a 126-117 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Brooks scored a game-high 27 points while draining 6 of 9 three-point attempts.

Nets forward Zaire Williams, who was a teammate of Brooks’s Memphis Grizzliesmade a blunt statement about the Suns forward’s breakthrough season after the performance.

“He’s an all-star in my opinion,” Williams said. “These same shots he’s been making in these games are the same shots I’ve seen him take every day, before the game, after the game. He’s literally playing 30, 35, 40 minutes, and right after the game, he’s in the gym getting more reps, and that’s just the worker that he is. So that’s the surprise of the night, so there’s no surprise. The ball on a really good clip, and he’s a confident teammate, I hate playing against him, but you you love him on your team.

Brooks landed in Phoenix as part of an offseason trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. Although many viewed the 30-year-old as a salary earner, his two-way presence revitalized a sputtering Suns team.

Will Dillon Brooks earn his first All-Star appearance in the middle of the Suns?

Brooks averaged a career-high 20.9 points on a .457/.351/.851 hitting share while helping lead Phoenix to a surprising 26-17 record. His shooting performance on Monday came after he made just 4 of 23 three-point attempts over his previous three outings.

Suns coach Jordan Ott paid little attention Brooks’ short fall.

“We know it works. It’s based on a process. So whether it’s one game, two games, three games, I mean, the best scorers ever, it happens,” Ott said after Monday’s win. “But it’s a process. Are we taking good shots? He took nine, and I thought all nine were good. So if we take good shots, with his work, his production this season, it will (work). He was close to 40 percent last year. So, trust the process. We know it’s going to work. I actually saw him in the lobby, not to surprise him in the lobby, so I’m going to surprise him in the lobby.

Brooks is competing for an All-Star appearance in the midst of his breakout campaign. He finished 14th in the media poll. Twelve players from each conference — five starters and seven reserves — will make the team, regardless of position.

While Brooks’ season has been impressive, he’s unlikely to earn a pick among several stars on the bubble, such as his Suns teammate Devin Booker and Portland Trail Blazers forward Danny Avdia. NBA head coaches will vote on the All-Star reserves, which will be announced on February 1.