Dillon has gone crazy, insisting that the sun will rise from the west.

Honestly, when Dillon unleashed that wild scoring run at the end of November this season, I assumed it was just a flash in the pan. His offensive performance was bound to regress to his career norms, and his points per game would decrease as the season went on.

Surprisingly, as we approach February, Dillon continues to hold steady with a 21 points per game average. Meanwhile, the Suns have stayed solidly within the Western Conference’s top eight spots without falling off.

Keep in mind, this season Jalen Green has basically been out, and their 10th overall pick Maruachi hasn’t been part of the rotation. It’s almost like Durant was replaced by Dillon during last offseason, yet the Suns’ record has improved instead of declined. This has been the biggest surprise so far this season.

A few days ago, Booker sprained his ankle and was expected to miss several games, so surely the Suns’ record would drop. But surprisingly, during Booker’s absence in those four games, the Suns went 3-1, including back-to-back wins against strong Eastern Conference teams, the Pistons and the Cavaliers.

In those four games, Dillon scored 26, 26, 40, and 27 points respectively. In the win over the top Eastern team Pistons, Dillon scored 38 points in just three quarters. The entire Suns team scored only 21 points in the third quarter, while Dillon alone had 14. As I said before, when the team’s core is out, Dillon immediately steps up to become the leader; when no one else can produce, Dillon can take over as the scorer.

The 40 points is Dillon Brooks’ career high. If you missed that game, check out his highlights — he looks like a smaller version of Durant, hitting tough mid-range shots. He shot 13 of 22 from the field, including 4 of 7 from three-point range.

In today’s victory over the Cavaliers, Dillon was limited by foul trouble in the first half and scored only 10 points. In the third quarter, he exploded again, making 6 of 8 shots, including 2 of 3 from three, scoring 17 points and grabbing 2 steals. Led by Dillon, the Suns surged ahead by 13 points in that quarter, effectively sealing the win.

A player like Dillon adds tremendous value to the team’s spirit. He approaches every possession with meticulous effort and leads by example, so teammates naturally follow suit. Although he commits many technical fouls, unlike Doncic, Dillon’s technical fouls genuinely boost the team’s momentum.

Throughout his career before joining the Suns, Dillon had never been a true primary scorer. The label of a 3-and-D player stuck to him, and he even fit the role of an on-court enforcer. Unexpectedly, at age 30, Dillon has carved out a new dimension in his career.

Dillon revealed that last season’s series loss to the Warriors was a turning point: “I realized I had to become a stronger scoring option and take on more offensive responsibility, so I spent the entire summer training specifically for that.”

Being traded to the Suns has, to some extent, unlocked Dillon’s potential. In Houston, he wouldn’t have had so much freedom to create offense. In Udoka’s system, Dillon was always a wing defender and spot-up shooter. So Rockets fans shouldn’t be too disappointed; acquiring Durant came at a cost, and Dillon might not have developed this much in Houston anyway.

The Suns’ new head coach, Oter, is quite capable. Under his leadership, the Suns have become one of the league’s top defensive teams, ranking second in steals per game. Fueled by defense, the Suns often pull away with runs to close out games. Last season, Oter was an assistant coach for the Cavaliers, and since his departure, the Cavs have visibly declined this season.

This season, the Suns have been holding their breath from the start. Everyone outside said the Suns would collapse quickly after Durant left, but no one wants to be underestimated. This group wants to prove something. They’ve channeled that energy into defensive rotations and perimeter shooting, playing a team basketball style where everyone contributes. Booker has also played very selflessly, and the team atmosphere is excellent.

Booker, averaging 25.4 points per game, is still the Suns’ leading star, but this Suns team is completely different from the one Booker used to carry alone. They can still win even without Booker, and the excellent offensive spacing creates endless possibilities.

No matter who is missing, the sun will continue to rise every day. Regardless of how long the night was, the sun will arrive as promised, bringing new hope. We must always keep hope alive in life.