10
Mar
Aussies in the NBA
'Hell no': Brooks' Josh Giddey hot take goes to pot
Canada's Dillon Brooks collides with Australia's Josh Giddey in the men's preliminary round group A basketball match between Canada and Australia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on July 30, 2024. Photo: Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP via Getty Images
Highlights
Dillon Brooks says Josh Giddey isn’t having a better year. The numbers strongly disagree.
- Dillon Brooks dismisses Josh Giddey’s season after Complex ranking
- Giddey averaging 17.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.5 assists
- Chicago guard creating about 38 points of offense per game
“Dillon the Villain” Brooks is the player teammates love but opponents don’t.
The “why” is in his nickname, and it has spilled into his candid assessment of Complex’s 2025-26 NBA Top 50 list, where he ranks 47th.
Brooks, 30, is having the best scoring year of his career, averaging 20.9 points per game for the retooled Phoenix Suns, along with 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists, despite being pulled over by Arizona police on the weekend for a sobriety test. The arresting police officer said his car “smelled like a (marijuana) dispensary”.
Brooks blew 0.0, was released, and not charged.
Standing on the hardwood at a practice facility a few days later, Brooks critiqued multiple players ahead of him on the Complex list, including Australian Chicago Bulls point guard Josh Giddey.
Giddey, 23, is ranked 46th, to which Brooks declared, “hell no”, the Victorian was having a better season than he.
Pulp Fiction fans will recognise this line: “Oh, well, allow me to retort.”
Dillon Brooks vs Josh Giddey in 2025-26
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Category | Dillon Brooks | Josh Giddey |
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Height | 201 cm | 201 cm |
| Weight | 102 kg | 97 kg |
| Position | SF / SG | PG / SG / SF / PF |
| Team | Phoenix Suns | Chicago Bulls |
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| 2025–26 Season Stats |
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Games | 50 | 42 |
| Points | 20.9 | 17.6 |
| Rebounds | 3.7 | 8.3 |
| Assists | 1.8 | 8.5 |
| FG% | 44.0% | 45.7% |
| 3PT% | 34.3% | 37.3% |
| FT% | 85.6% | 76.3% |
| eFG% | 50.7% | 52.5% |
| PER | 14.8 | 18.7 |
| Win Shares | 2.2 | 2.6 |
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Career Averages |
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Games | 542 | 322 |
| Points | 14.8 | 14.5 |
| Rebounds | 3.3 | 7.6 |
| Assists | 2.0 | 6.4 |
| FG% | 42.2% | 46.3% |
| 3PT% | 35.3% | 33.7% |
| FT% | 81.1% | 76.4% |
| eFG% | 49.3% | 51.3% |
| PER | 11.1 | 16.8 |
| Win Shares | 16.9 | 16.6 |
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
Firstly, Giddey being ranked 46th is a crime in itself. Secondly, the snubbed All-Star is having a better season than at least 20 players ahead of him.
Brooks’ Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is 0.3 below the league average (15) while Giddey’s is 18.7.
Giddey has nine triple-doubles in 2025-26; Brooks' career triple-double total is ... none.
Dillon Brooks vs Josh Giddey Points Production
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
| Category | Josh Giddey | Dillon Brooks |
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
| Points per game | 17.6 | 20.9 |
| Assists per game | 8.5 | 1.8 |
| Points from assists | 20.4 | 4.3 |
| | (8.5 × 2.4) | (1.8 × 2.4) |
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
| Total offense created| 38.0 | 25.2 |
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
Brooks is averaging more points than Giddey, but taking four more shots with an inferior eFG%, all while Giddey is crushing him on the boards and dropping a lazy 372% more assists per game.
Dillon Brooks vs Josh Giddey Shot Production
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
| Category | Josh Giddey | Dillon Brooks |
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
| Games | 42 | 50 |
| Minutes | 31.3 mpg | 30.6 mpg |
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
| FGA | 13.4 | 17.4 |
| FG | 6.1 | 7.7 |
| FG% | 45.7% | 44.0% |
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
| 3PA | 4.9 | 6.8 |
| 3P | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| 3P% | 37.3% | 34.3% |
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
| 2PA | 8.5 | 10.6 |
| 2P | 4.3 | 5.3 |
| 2P% | 50.6% | 50.2% |
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
| eFG% | 52.5% | 50.7% |
+----------------------+------------------+------------------+
The real crime on this list is that Giddey is ranked 46th. There are just three players this season who are averaging more than 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and eight assists: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and ... Giddey.
Giddey now has the second-most triple-doubles in Chicago Bulls history after passing NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen (15) on the Bulls’ all-time list yesterday. Only Michael Jordan has more.
His NBA career is already historic — at 23, the Melbourne-born point guard is in the company of Hall of Famers Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson.
Jordan, Magic, Bird, Grant Hill and Jason Kidd each had 20 triple-doubles in their first five season. All five are in the Hall of Fame.
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Only five players have a better PER than Giddey this season, who are averaging more than 15 points, six rebounds and six assists: Doncic, Jokic, Deni Avdija, Jalen Johnson and Alperen Sengun.
Typically, an American list prioritises scoring over overall impact. Giddey is fourth in the league in assists behind Jokic (10.3), Cade Cunningham (9.8), Trae Young (8.6) and ahead of Doncic (8.4) and James Harden (8.1). Brooks ranked 179th in assists per game.
Complex’s Top 50 Players list appears to be “eye-test” blended with statistics. Lists are lists, subjective in their criteria, but this one ignores the impact Giddey is having in his second season in the Windy City and historically.
Brooks is averaging more points than Giddey, but taking four more shots with an inferior eFG%, all while Giddey is crushing him on the boards and a lazy 372% more assists per game.
Complex's Top 50 NBA Players in 2025-26
+------+------------------------+---------------------------+
| Rank | Player | Team |
+------+------------------------+---------------------------+
| 1 | Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets |
| 2 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander| Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 3 | Luka Doncic | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 4 | Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs |
| 5 | Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 6 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 7 | Jalen Brunson | New York Knicks |
| 8 | Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 9 | Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics |
| 10 | Kawhi Leonard | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 11 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| 12 | Tyrese Maxey | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 13 | Cade Cunningham | Detroit Pistons |
| 14 | Kevin Durant | Houston Rockets |
| 15 | Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets |
| 16 | Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns |
| 17 | Jalen Johnson | Atlanta Hawks |
| 18 | Deni Avdija | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 19 | Alperen Sengun | Houston Rockets |
| 20 | Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 21 | Pascal Siakam | Indiana Pacers |
| 22 | LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 23 | James Harden | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 24 | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 25 | Scottie Barnes | Toronto Raptors |
| 26 | Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 27 | Bam Adebayo | Miami Heat |
| 28 | Lauri Markkanen | Utah Jazz |
| 29 | Jalen Duren | Detroit Pistons |
| 30 | Karl-Anthony Towns | New York Knicks |
| 31 | Julius Randle | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 32 | Jalen Williams | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 33 | De'Aaron Fox | San Antonio Spurs |
| 34 | Trey Murphy III | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 35 | Cooper Flagg | Dallas Mavericks |
| 36 | Amen Thompson | Houston Rockets |
| 37 | Austin Reaves | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 38 | Keyonte George | Utah Jazz |
| 39 | Norman Powell | Miami Heat |
| 40 | Paolo Banchero | Orlando Magic |
| 41 | Brandon Ingram | Toronto Raptors |
| 42 | Kon Knueppel | Charlotte Hornets |
| 43 | Desmond Bane | Orlando Magic |
| 44 | Michael Porter Jr. | Brooklyn Nets |
| 45 | Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 46 | Josh Giddey | Chicago Bulls |
| 47 | Shaedon Sharpe | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 48 | Dillon Brooks | Phoenix Suns |
| 49 | Brandon Miller | Charlotte Hornets |
| 50 | Zion Williamson | New Orleans Pelicans |
+------+------------------------+---------------------------+
What Brooks said about other players on the list
- (24) Joel Embiid: "No, he's too hurt you can probably go to sleep for a straight week and he's probably hurt again"
- (37) Austin Reaves: "Man a foul baiter"
- (47) Shaedon Sharpe: "I'm not rating him"
- (31) Julius Randle: "One of the biggest complainers, he wants all the calls because he plays the most physical him, Zion Williamson and Giannis play so physical"
- (40) Paolo Banchero: "Down year for Paolo, could be way better he's supposed be LeBron status"
- (22) LeBron James: "He ain't having a better year than me"
- (46) Josh Giddey: "Hell no"
- (45) Rudy Gobert: "Nah"
- (44) Michael Porter Jr.: "He having a good year"
- (43) Desmond Bane: "That's my young boy"
- (42) Kon Knueppel: "He's having a good year"
- (41) Brandon Ingram: "I rate his game all the way"
- (38) Keyonte George: "He's having a great year but he's SOFT"
- (36) Amen Thompson: "That's my guy"
- (35) Cooper Flagg: "I rate him.. not a better year than me because if I was with the Mavs would be in the playoff hunt"
- (34) Trey Murphy III: "I can't support losing so no but he's having a great year"
- (33) De'Aaron Fox: "Nah Fox ain't having a better year than me"
- (32) Jalen Williams: "Too hurt but he got game"
- (30) Karl-Anthony Towns: "That boy sweet"
- (29) Jalen Duren: "He's nice, yeah"
- (28) Lauri Markkanen: "No, his numbers are good though"
- (27) Bam Adebayo: "I love playing against him"
- (26) Chet Holmgren: "Nah"
- (25) Scottie Barnes: "Nah"
- (23) James Harden: "He's nice"
