The NBA preseason is supposed to ease teams into a new season. Dillon Brooks had other plans. Less than five minutes into the Phoenix Suns’ opener against the Detroit Pistons, the veteran forward found himself at the center of a heated confrontation with Josh Collins. That incident ended with Collins putting a hand around Brooks’ neck.
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The incident immediately revived the question that has followed Brooks throughout his career: how far can his physical, antagonistic style go before it crosses the line?
The altercation began with 7:23 remaining in the first quarter as Dillon Brooks battled Collins for position in the paint. Brooks used his usual physicality, including an extended forearm, before Collins secured an offensive rebound over him. Brooks then reached around Collins from behind while trying to get at the ball.
And Collins turned toward him before the confrontation escalated into a chokehold. Officials and security quickly separated them.
Moreover, before the incident, DB had engaged in aggressive hip checks, pulling the chair and elbow contacts. It ultimately reached the boiling point.
There was no established personal rivalry between the two players entering the game, making the sudden exchange even more notable. Brooks was also in his second season with Phoenix, having arrived from Houston in the trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Rockets.
The officials initially assessed double technical fouls before reviewing the sequence. After the lengthy replay review, Collins received a Flagrant 1 while Brooks was given a technical. The ref didn’t eject anyone. And both remained available as Phoenix built a 68-50 lead before Detroit rallied for a 109-107 victory.
That result kept the on-court punishment relatively limited.
But the league can still review the confrontation after the game. A Flagrant 1 covers unnecessary contact, while a Flagrant 2 is reserved for unnecessary and excessive contact.
Collins therefore avoided the more severe on-court ruling, although the league can still examine the sequence for any additional discipline.
Dillon Brooks has plenty of history that makes the incident noteworthy. His history even earned him an infamous moniker: Dillon the Villain.
He led the NBA with 17 technical fouls last season, plus 4 flagrant fouls. And a regular-season accumulation of 16 technicals triggers an automatic one-game suspension, with another suspension coming for every two additional technicals. However, the preseason technicals will not carry into the regular season.
For Detroit, the altercation was an expectedly fiery introduction for its newest frontcourt piece.
The Pistons signed Collins to a three-year, $51 million deal in July after he arrived through a six-team transaction. He stepped into the spot vacated by Tobias Harris, who left for the San Antonio Spurs. And the Pistons expect Collins to provide shooting, finishing, and athleticism alongside Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren.
The Pistons viewed that combination as central to reshaping their frontcourt.
That fit is important. Collins shot 40.6% from three-point range last season, while his career mark stands at 36%. This gives the Pistons a frontcourt player who can stretch the floor instead of relying entirely on interior scoring. His athleticism also gives Cunningham another lob threat.
The exchange with Dillon Brooks will not define Collins’ season. But it did reveal something about the intensity Detroit may bring to its new-look group. The Pistons finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference last season. And the team added Collins to strengthen that roster. Not simply to fill a vacant spot.
For Phoenix, Dillon remains one of its emotional and physical tone-setters.
He averaged a career-best 20.2 ppg last season and has built a reputation for getting under opponents’ skin. His first preseason game has already shown that edge has followed him into another season.
In short, Collins escaped ejection, Brooks avoided carrying the tech into the regular season, and the game continued.
The NBA’s next review will determine whether the brief preseason scuffle deserves anything more. But the preseason opener has already delivered exactly the kind of Brooks moment opponents expect.