ESPN is noticing a pattern with Phoenix Suns guard/forward Dillon Brooks.

"Dillon the Villain is now Dillon the culture changer," ESPN writer Vincent Goodwill said in ESPN's "NBA Rank 2026, players Nos. 100-51."

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The ranking ranks the top 100 NBA players for the 2026-27 season. ESPN formulated the list by combining the lists of seven members of their expert panel. Brooks was ranked as the 76th-best player in the NBA for the 2026-27 season, after not being ranked in last year's ranking.

Brooks' role as a culture-changer last season was noted after a 2025-26 season where the Suns posted a nine-win improvement from where they were at the season before and making the playoffs after missing out in 2024-25.

This turnaround happened despite the team trading Kevin Durant, a 12-time All-NBA selection (11-time at the time of the trade) before the 2025-26 season for a package that included Brooks.

Brooks played the most games (56) out of the five players acquired in the seven-team trade by the Suns: He, guard Jalen Green, eventual 2025 NBA Draft selection Khaman Maluach, eventual 2025 NBA Draft selection Koby Brea and guard Daeqwon Plowden (who was waived by Phoenix before the season). Brooks averaged a steal per game in the process with 20.2 points per game on 43.5/34.4/84.2 shooting splits.

ESPN noted that Brooks did not only help a major turnaround in Phoenix, but also a 19-win turnaround during his first season in Houston. They even added that "Brooks ranked in the top 10 in made 2-point jumpers last season, according to GeniusIQ." Brooks fit in with the Suns' first-year head coach Jordan Ott's offensive system last season, which does not discourage players from taking midrange shots, unlike their previous head coach Mike Budenholzer's system.

The other two of the Suns' top three players (Devin Booker and Green) have even higher two-point shooting percentages than Brooks' 49.2%, paving the way for ESPN to potentially list them in the top 50 once released.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ESPN ranking notes Dillon Brooks' impact on Phoenix Suns' turnaround

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T.J. Watt Is Back: ESPN Explains Why Steelers Star's Early-Season Success Will Continue originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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T.J. Watt looks like himself again, and ESPN believes the Pittsburgh Steelers star's early-season resurgence is no fluke.

After two seasons that fell short of his usual dominant standard, Watt has returned to the disruptive form that has made him one of the NFL's premier defensive players. Through two weeks, the Steelers edge rusher has recorded 3.5 sacks and one touchdown.

ESPN's Brooke Pryor labeled Watt's early-season success as "real" in an evaluation of the NFL's biggest surprises through the first two weeks.

According to Pryor, Watt's resurgence has been helped by new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's approach. Watt is playing fewer snaps as part of a carefully managed rotation while also moving around the defensive front more frequently, something he was open to at the start of the season. 

Is T.J. Watt’s early success for real, or just a mirage? 👀

Is Watt back to his dominant ways, #Steelers fans? #herewego#steelersnation#thesickpodcast@MikedUpSports1@JYorkFootballpic.twitter.com/6UFZynVwZo

— The Sick Podcast - Steelers Crazy! (@sickpodsteelers) September 23, 2026

That combination has allowed Watt to stay fresher while making it more difficult for opposing offenses to anticipate where he will attack.

"A better rested and more unpredictable Watt? That's a nightmare for O-coordinators," Pryor wrote.

The results have already been significant. Watt's 3.5 sacks rank second in the NFL through two weeks, trailing only Buffalo Bills edge rusher Greg Rousseau.

Pro Football Focus provides another indication that Watt's strong start is sustainable.

Watt currently leads all edge defenders with a 91.3 PFF grade through Week 2. He has recorded four sacks and seven total pressures on 38 pass-rush snaps, producing an 18.4% pressure rate despite facing a double-team on 42.1% of those pass-rush opportunities.

His performance against the run has been just as impressive. Watt has recorded three stops on 30 run-defense snaps and has yet to record a negatively graded play in that area, according to PFF.

The Steelers will need Watt to maintain that level of production as the season progresses, particularly with Graham's defensive scheme continuing to put him in different positions to make an impact.

Through two weeks, ESPN believes what Pittsburgh is seeing from Watt is more than a hot start. The numbers suggest the same.

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