Hoops Tonight - Lakers-Suns Reaction: Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves Struggle, Phoenix is LEGIT, Dillon Brooks' Rise

Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd | Hoops Tonight
Host: Jason Timf
Date: December 3, 2025

Episode Overview

Jason Timf delivers an in-depth breakdown of the recent Lakers vs. Suns game, framing it as a pivotal showcase for the Phoenix Suns’ legitimacy in the West and highlighting concerning trends for the Lakers. He explores why the Suns are exceeding expectations, with detailed analysis of their defense, the emergence of Dillon Brooks as a scorer, and Colin Gillespie’s developmental arc. On the flip side, Timf digs into recurring vulnerabilities for the Lakers, particularly against physical, athletic perimeter teams, and what it means for their long-term trajectory.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Phoenix Suns' Stunning Rise (03:11 - 27:18)

Defensive Foundation & Scheme

• Unexpected Improvement: Timf admits his preseason expectations were low: “I figured they’d be something like 37 and 45… some fun nights for the fans, but… no real threat… Forget all of that. They look like a legitimate playoff team.” (10:44)
• Personnel Upgrades: Switching Kevin Durant for Dillon Brooks is a “talent downgrade, right? But Dylan Brooks is legitimately one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire NBA.” (06:05)
• Mark Williams Transformation:
  • Previously seen as a liability on defense, Williams is now “a legitimate defensive anchor… That specific dynamic—the ability of Dunn and Brooks to pressure the ball…and Mark Williams' giant wingspan swallowing everything up—literally broke the Lakers offense last night.” (14:55)
  • Credit to coaching: “Phoenix has turned him into a legitimate defensive anchor, which I did not see coming. This is a credit to Brian Gregory.” (13:08)

Defensive Execution Against Lakers

• Game Plan Discipline:

  • Suns guarded Luka Doncic two-on-two in pick-and-roll, avoided overreactions: “There was no overreaction from Jordan Ott. He stuck with the game plan, and even though Luka was awesome in the first quarter, he started to fall apart as the game went along…” (17:55)
  • Forced Doncic into 9 turnovers: “They turned Luca over nine times yesterday… most of those were a product of the fact that when Luca started to work against the two-on-two…he was confused because it felt like he was in a crowd…” (19:36)
  • JJ Redick’s observation: “[Doncic] had opportunities to throw kickout passes but he couldn’t see them because Mark Williams’s long ass arms are going like this.” (20:30)

• Transition & Margins:

  • Suns converted turnovers into fast-break points: “They forced 22 turnovers… The Suns scored 32 points off Lakers turnovers in this game. They outscored the Lakers 28-2 on the fast break. That’s basically the difference in the game.” (23:10)

2. Suns' Internal Offensive Development (27:18 - 38:48)

Dillon Brooks’ Emergence

• Offensive Expansion:
  • Transformed from “ISO clank artist” to “legitimate offensive weapon”:
    “Last night was not an outlier… his third 30-point game… averaging 25 points per game over his last 10 games… deadly accurate on pull-ups…” (28:24)
  • Notable Stat: “Dylan has run 69 post-ups and isos, generated 77 points…That’s 1.12 points per possession. That’s insanely good for one-on-ones on pretty good volume.” (29:52)
• On His Skillset:
  • “Dylan always had the audaciousness, he has the confidence… He worked his ass off behind the scenes to turn himself into a real shot maker. Not just a shooter, but a maker.” (31:38)
• Matchups:
  • “He’s basically that typical mismatch-attacking forward now. He picked apart the Lakers guards last night… went into Los Angeles and outplayed Luka Doncic for a night.” (33:27)

Colin Gillespie’s Growth

• Comparison to Austin Reaves:
  • “His rise has reminded me a little bit of Austin Reeves… the guy who kind of finds a role on an imbalanced roster just simply because he’s a good, well-rounded basketball player.” (34:44)
• Spot-up and Pick-and-Roll Excellence:
  • “He’s shooting 51% on catch and shoot threes this season… converting spot ups at 1.37 points per possession this year… 10th out of 159 in the league.” (36:07)
  • “He’s massively increased his pick and roll volume this year… still just slightly above average, 51st percentile.” (37:30)
• Drive & Defensive IQ:
  • “A well-rounded, disciplined, fundamentally sound basketball player… that blossoming into more opportunity this year and him capitalizing on it through his own internal improvement.” (37:58)

Summing Up Suns’ Playoff Outlook

• Roster, Culture, and Ceiling:
  • “Instead they look like a legit middle-tier playoff team… Because Jordan Ott and those defensive wings have helped Mark Williams become a legitimate defensive anchor… and because of the explosions offensively of guys like Dylan Brooks and Colin Gillespie. Suns fans are thrilled right now, and they should be.” (38:13)

3. Lakers' Recurring Weakness: Physical, Athletic Perimeter Teams (41:32 - 51:30)

A Disturbing Trend

• Pattern Recognition:
  • “Not the first time we've seen these Lakers succumb to that type of pressure and physicality… saw it against the Thunder about three weeks ago, saw it against the Timberwolves… legitimate vulnerability with this team.” (42:18)
• What Goes Wrong?
  • “In the losses, Austin and Luka have been bad. They've turned the ball over, they've looked flustered, they've lost control… in the wins, they've methodically handled the pressure, made good reads, scored the ball, kept control…” (44:04)
• Not Fixable by Trade Alone:
  • “Having a Herb Jones on the floor isn't going to matter if Austin and Luka can't take care of the ball against big, physical, athletic perimeter defenders.” (45:30)
• It’s About Mindset and Execution:
  • “Vulnerability is not the same as a sentence… That is the conquering that this Lakers team needs to do in order to reach their goals.” (48:57)

A Chance for Redemption

• Basketball is Night-to-Night
  • “Nobody cares if you got punked by the Timberwolves in April or the Thunder in November… If you turn around in April and you take care of the basketball [and] beat those dudes, no one's going to give a damn what happened in December.” (47:10)
• Upcoming Tests:
  • “The Lakers will play Phoenix again on December 23… Toronto… Then maybe San Antonio and Oklahoma City in the in-season tournament. They're going to get more chances to address this.” (50:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Suns as a playoff team:

  “Forget all of that. They look like a legitimate playoff team. Like at this point, they look pretty well entrenched as a top eight seed in the West.”
  (10:44 - Jason Timf)

• On Mark Williams’ transformation:

  “Phoenix has turned him into a legitimate defensive anchor, which I did not see coming. This is a credit to Brian Gregory.”
  (13:08 - Jason Timf)

• On the Suns' defensive scheme:

  “That specific dynamic—the ability of Dunn and Brooks to pressure the ball…and Mark Williams' giant wingspan swallowing everything up—literally broke the Lakers offense last night.”
  (14:55 - Jason Timf)

• On Dillon Brooks’ improved scoring:

  “He went into Los Angeles and outplayed Luka Doncic for a night. That’s the level that he’s capable of reaching right now.”
  (33:27 - Jason Timf)

• On Lakers’ recurring flaw:

  “In the losses, Austin and Luka have been bad. They've turned the ball over, looked flustered, lost control… in the wins, they've handled pressure, made good reads, and kept control.”
  (44:04 - Jason Timf)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Deep Dive on Suns’ Defense: 03:11 – 23:10
• Dillon Brooks’ Offensive Leap: 27:18 – 33:27
• Colin Gillespie as Role Player Star: 34:44 – 38:13
• Suns as Legitimate Playoff Team: 38:13 – 39:24
• Lakers’ Vulnerability to Physical Teams: 41:32 – 50:00
• Final Thoughts & Lakers’ Upcoming Tests: 50:00 – 51:30

Conclusion

Jason Timf’s breakdown highlights just how far Phoenix has come, transforming expected roster limitations into a defensive fortress and developing new offensive weapons. He underscores key coaching moves and individual improvements, spotlighting Dillon Brooks and Colin Gillespie’s rise. For the Lakers, this game mirrors broader issues: struggles against teams that get up into their ball handlers, with Timf stressing this is a demon they must conquer to realize their championship ambitions. Phoenix, on the other hand, is officially a threat in the West—a team nobody wants to face come playoff time.