Winners of eight of their past 10 games, Ryan Dunn explained why this year’s Suns are gelling a lot better than last year’s Suns squad.
“I think it’s a mix of everything,” Dunn told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday. “To be honest with you, coaching, roster — people might even say like not having expectation on ourselves or just going down and just playing free, but I think for us, our locker room is really, really good. We all gel together.”
Dunn said this year’s team came together long before the season even started.
It started with trips out to Flagstaff — Devin Booker’s favorite hideout — shared workouts and going out to dinner and just hanging out with each other.
“I think we’re all gelling well,” Dunn said. “We all like each other, and it’s just fun playing with guys that really enjoy each other, and you’ll be able to go to work every day and see them, and it’s great.
“Not saying last year wasn’t like that. Like, we didn’t hate each other, but you can just feel a different sense of energy coming in on the floor and coming in the locker room, and a lot of guys help with that as well.”
Ryan Dunn says Dillon Brooks has helped Suns with culture
According to Dunn, one of the players who’s helped the Suns with energy in the locker room is Dillon Brooks.
“Oh man, it’s meant a lot,” Dunn said. “I always say he’s crazy when he walks around, sometimes when he plays, but just to have that person not only on the court but off the court, because everyone thinks he’s probably a crazy person off the court, but he’s just a really down-to-earth guy and someone you love to have in your locker room.”
Dunn said he’s grateful he doesn’t have to play against Brooks — based on Brooks’ reputation — and he’s thankful Brooks is a teammate of his.
“He sets the tone early for us just trying to make sure that we’re in the right headspace,” Dunn said. “And for me learning from him defensively, what he does to get into people’s heads … how he guards the best players … that’s something that I can learn from in the long run.”
But despite Brooks’ reputation of being a character, Dunn said Brooks does not carry the crazy-person persona off the court.
“No, he’s not crazy,” Dunn said. “He’s really nice. He’s really down to earth. He likes to make jokes, he likes to laugh like everybody else. He’s not like that off the floor.”
