The Phoenix Suns second unit has been a sore spot this season after being one of the points of pride through the team's Western Conference Playoff run. A ton of different guys have rotated in and out of the line up and played a variety of roles but the one constant was backup point guard Goran Dragic.

Dragic is -- was -- the visible face of the bench unit. He was the guy who signified the time when team went from the MVP-hands of Steve Nash to someone else.

With Dragic at the wheel, the Suns were a horrible -16.6 in plus/minus. Of course, the Suns were also a +11 when Dragic was on the court with Vince Carter, Channing Frye, Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley. And the team was -19 when he was on the court with a slightly different group of players that included Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress.

Does that mean Goran Dragic was the source of all the Suns' second unit woes?

With Aaron Brooks stepping in, we are about to find out if the season-long struggles were the result of Dragic's poor play. Or perhaps there were more issues at work that didn't show up quite so glaringly as the contrast between the two-time MVP and the third-year player.



In comes Brooks who won the 2009-10 Most Improved Player award by following up fairly unimpressive rookie and sophomore seasons with a big year as the Houston Rockets starting point guard last season.

Brooks averaged 19.6 points per game and shot 39.8 percent from three. He frequently put up huge nights with 10 games with over 30 points. Of course, like most players, he had his off nights too, including 11 nights with 10 points or less.

What's notable about Brook's "great" season last year -- kind of like Goran Dragic's plus/minus numbers -- were the teammates he played with. He was sharing a lot of court time for most of the season with offensively-challenged players like Chuck Hayes, Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier which gave him plenty of opportunities to score.

Brooks took 16.2 shots per game which is about two fewer than LeBron James and slightly more than Amare Stoudemire. Unfortunately, his shooting efficiency didn't justify that many attempts as he struggled to score in the paint due to his small size and showed little ability to make up for that with a decent mid-range game.

As a point guard, Brooks didn't do much to set up his teammates either. Steve Nash had an assist rate (percent of possessions that ended in assists) of 64.8 last year. Brooks' assist rate was 25.62 which was 39th among point guards who averaged over 25 minutes per game.

Brooks proved last season that given enough chances he could score the ball but he didn't do much to set up his teammates. The Brooks-led Rockets failed to make the playoffs and finished 42-40.

This is the guy the Suns have committed to: a high-volume, shoot-first point guard who had one "decent" NBA season followed by a regression this year where he lost his job to Kyle Lowry and has seen his shooting percentages drop to a career-low 34.6 from the field and 28.4 from three.

Brooks Isn't An Experiment

By giving up a young player with upside along with a first round draft pick, the Suns have made it quite clear that they intend to re-sign Brooks who will be a restricted free agent after this season.

Of course, if Brooks does play well over the next 27 games they risk seeing his market value rise while if he continues to play poorly they will be faced with either signing him anyway or letting him go after giving up two valuable assets to get him for the final part of one season. Kind of pickle, really.

Hopefully, Brooks will come in and give the bench the scoring punch it needs and he will recover some of his game that impressed observers so much last season. If not, the Suns front office will have lost a gamble on a guy with a shaky track record.

The Phoenix Suns second unit has been a sore spot this season after being one of the points of pride through the team's Western Conference Playoff run. A ton of different guys have rotated in and out of the line up and played a variety of roles but the one constant was backup point guard Goran Dragic.

Dragic is -- was -- the visible face of the bench unit. He was the guy who signified the time when team went from the MVP-hands of Steve Nash to someone else.

With Dragic at the wheel, the Suns were a horrible -16.6 in plus/minus. Of course, the Suns were also a +11 when Dragic was on the court with Vince Carter, Channing Frye, Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley. And the team was -19 when he was on the court with a slightly different group of players that included Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress.

Does that mean Goran Dragic was the source of all the Suns' second unit woes?

With Aaron Brooks stepping in, we are about to find out if the season-long struggles were the result of Dragic's poor play. Or perhaps there were more issues at work that didn't show up quite so glaringly as the contrast between the two-time MVP and the third-year player.



In comes Brooks who won the 2009-10 Most Improved Player award by following up fairly unimpressive rookie and sophomore seasons with a big year as the Houston Rockets starting point guard last season.

Brooks averaged 19.6 points per game and shot 39.8 percent from three. He frequently put up huge nights with 10 games with over 30 points. Of course, like most players, he had his off nights too, including 11 nights with 10 points or less.

What's notable about Brook's "great" season last year -- kind of like Goran Dragic's plus/minus numbers -- were the teammates he played with. He was sharing a lot of court time for most of the season with offensively-challenged players like Chuck Hayes, Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier which gave him plenty of opportunities to score.

Brooks took 16.2 shots per game which is about two fewer than LeBron James and slightly more than Amare Stoudemire. Unfortunately, his shooting efficiency didn't justify that many attempts as he struggled to score in the paint due to his small size and showed little ability to make up for that with a decent mid-range game.

As a point guard, Brooks didn't do much to set up his teammates either. Steve Nash had an assist rate (percent of possessions that ended in assists) of 64.8 last year. Brooks' assist rate was 25.62 which was 39th among point guards who averaged over 25 minutes per game.

Brooks proved last season that given enough chances he could score the ball but he didn't do much to set up his teammates. The Brooks-led Rockets failed to make the playoffs and finished 42-40.

This is the guy the Suns have committed to: a high-volume, shoot-first point guard who had one "decent" NBA season followed by a regression this year where he lost his job to Kyle Lowry and has seen his shooting percentages drop to a career-low 34.6 from the field and 28.4 from three.

Brooks Isn't An Experiment

By giving up a young player with upside along with a first round draft pick, the Suns have made it quite clear that they intend to re-sign Brooks who will be a restricted free agent after this season.

Of course, if Brooks does play well over the next 27 games they risk seeing his market value rise while if he continues to play poorly they will be faced with either signing him anyway or letting him go after giving up two valuable assets to get him for the final part of one season. Kind of pickle, really.

Hopefully, Brooks will come in and give the bench the scoring punch it needs and he will recover some of his game that impressed observers so much last season. If not, the Suns front office will have lost a gamble on a guy with a shaky track record.

Sex-scandal-scarred Oscar winner Joseph Brooks' slacker son was slapped with attempted-murder and strangulation charges last night in the death of his swimsuit-designer ex-girlfriend at the posh Soho House hotel, police said.
Nick Brooks, 24 -- whose dad was indicted last year on 82 counts of sexually abusing young actresses -- was booked after nearly two days in police custody, where he was grilled by cops and body-searched for DNA and other evidence.
The felony strangulation charge is new to the New York penal code. Just eight days old, the provision is aimed at domestic abusers whose victims do not sustain serious neck injuries.
"We have enough [evidence] at this point to charge him with attempted murder and strangulation. He talked to us but has not confessed," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.
Sources said that District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office made the decision to charge Brooks with attempted murder as opposed to murder.
A police source said that cops can prove that he choked her, thus the strangulation charge, but cannot prove the choking caused the death of Cachay, who was discovered lifeless in an overflowing bathtub.
"He definitely intended to kill her, but we can't prove that he did," the source said. "We're not sure if strangulation or drowning caused her death."
The source said investigators hope that more evidence will come in and the charges can be upgraded.
Cachay, a 33-year-old, Peruvian-born fashion designer, had jilted Brooks the night before she died. She had bruises on her neck, bleeding in her eyes and a bite mark on her hand.
Brooks is believed to be the last person to have seen her alive.
"There's foul play here," Cachay's dad, Antonio, told The Post yesterday from his home near Washington, DC. "And I want justice applied."
Brooks' arrest followed more than 36 hours at Manhattan's Sixth Precinct station house. He had answered questions all day Thursday before clamming up and hiring a lawyer.
An initial autopsy was inconclusive, and medical examiners have begun a series of toxicology tests that could take weeks to complete, sources said.
When Cachay checked in at Soho House with Brooks about 12:30 a.m. Thursday, she told the concierge she was on Xanax and could barely stay awake. Her body was found three hours later.
Her parents said they had long been suspicious of Brooks.
"They'd talked of marriage," Cachay's mother, Sylvia, said of their five-month relationship. "But she said she could not marry him unless he gets a regular job."
Brooks' father, Joseph -- who won an Oscar for composing the song "You Light Up My Life" -- is fighting charges he sexually assaulted 11 starlets.
The unemployed younger Brooks lives with three roommates in the East Village in what the building super and neighbors described as a frequently marijuana-scented apartment.
Cachay lived in a far more posh pad in the West Village.
"Sylvie was trying to instill in him good morals," the mother recalled. "Good behavior, goal-seeking, getting interested in languages, whatever would make him a better person."
Instead, Brooks was a layabout, the mother said.
"He gets a job, and then he drops it," the mother recalled. "Then Sylvie, about a week and a half ago, said: 'No. If you don't prove to me that you can be a solid citizen, I will not continue a serious relationship with you, and I will not consider marriage."

Sex-scandal-scarred Oscar winner Joseph Brooks' slacker son was slapped with attempted-murder and strangulation charges last night in the death of his swimsuit-designer ex-girlfriend at the posh Soho House hotel, police said.
Nick Brooks, 24 -- whose dad was indicted last year on 82 counts of sexually abusing young actresses -- was booked after nearly two days in police custody, where he was grilled by cops and body-searched for DNA and other evidence.
The felony strangulation charge is new to the New York penal code. Just eight days old, the provision is aimed at domestic abusers whose victims do not sustain serious neck injuries.
"We have enough [evidence] at this point to charge him with attempted murder and strangulation. He talked to us but has not confessed," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.
Sources said that District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office made the decision to charge Brooks with attempted murder as opposed to murder.
A police source said that cops can prove that he choked her, thus the strangulation charge, but cannot prove the choking caused the death of Cachay, who was discovered lifeless in an overflowing bathtub.
"He definitely intended to kill her, but we can't prove that he did," the source said. "We're not sure if strangulation or drowning caused her death."
The source said investigators hope that more evidence will come in and the charges can be upgraded.
Cachay, a 33-year-old, Peruvian-born fashion designer, had jilted Brooks the night before she died. She had bruises on her neck, bleeding in her eyes and a bite mark on her hand.
Brooks is believed to be the last person to have seen her alive.
"There's foul play here," Cachay's dad, Antonio, told The Post yesterday from his home near Washington, DC. "And I want justice applied."
Brooks' arrest followed more than 36 hours at Manhattan's Sixth Precinct station house. He had answered questions all day Thursday before clamming up and hiring a lawyer.
An initial autopsy was inconclusive, and medical examiners have begun a series of toxicology tests that could take weeks to complete, sources said.
When Cachay checked in at Soho House with Brooks about 12:30 a.m. Thursday, she told the concierge she was on Xanax and could barely stay awake. Her body was found three hours later.
Her parents said they had long been suspicious of Brooks.
"They'd talked of marriage," Cachay's mother, Sylvia, said of their five-month relationship. "But she said she could not marry him unless he gets a regular job."
Brooks' father, Joseph -- who won an Oscar for composing the song "You Light Up My Life" -- is fighting charges he sexually assaulted 11 starlets.
The unemployed younger Brooks lives with three roommates in the East Village in what the building super and neighbors described as a frequently marijuana-scented apartment.
Cachay lived in a far more posh pad in the West Village.
"Sylvie was trying to instill in him good morals," the mother recalled. "Good behavior, goal-seeking, getting interested in languages, whatever would make him a better person."
Instead, Brooks was a layabout, the mother said.
"He gets a job, and then he drops it," the mother recalled. "Then Sylvie, about a week and a half ago, said: 'No. If you don't prove to me that you can be a solid citizen, I will not continue a serious relationship with you, and I will not consider marriage."

Country music's Garth Brooks has earned the title of bestselling solo artist of all time, and he hasn't toured in nine years or put out a new record in three years. But for the past year, he has been playing some weekend gigs in Las Vegas.

Brooks recently enjoyed entertaining his fans on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," stopping by for the talk show host's final season.

"She was a dream, everybody there very sweet. Everything she's shooting is just, it's real emotional and it's neat to be a part of it at this time," said Brooks.

He took time away from a busy schedule that includes first and foremost his "dad" duties, plus continuing his sold out shows at the Wynn Las Vegas.

"The Vegas gig is going very well, they're treating us unbelievable and the truth is it's the easiest gig on the planet. I can do it for the rest of my life. I love it," said Brooks.

But for those fans who are hoping he may one day go back out on a concert tour, you'll have to wait a few more years.

"Our youngest is freshman in high school, we got another four or five years. I'll be turning 49 in February, so I'll be 53 or 54 when the album and the tour comes out, if it does. And if there's a place for us, I would love to tour again," Brooks said.

The country star has also been busy working behind the scenes, serving as executive producer of a new TV movie based on his 1991 hit song, "Unanswered Prayers."

"For any of the Garth fans out there, or people that might be a fan of 'Unanswered Prayers,' if you like the song, you're going to love this movie," said Brooks.

And being in the producing game is something he plans to continue.

"I just want to keep doing the stuff that feels good to my soul and my heart. So this is the second movie in 15 years of our production company," said Brooks. "This is the second movie we've ever done and both of them feel really, really good. And if that third one comes tomorrow great, if it takes another 10 years, it's worth the wait."

So in honor of this Thanksgiving season, what is Brooks most thankful for?

"Everything is about your children's health, that's it. If your children are healthy, nothing else matters. But on top of that, thank God my children are healthy, I'm married to most incredible person on the planet and life is definitely good," said Brooks.

Next month, the singer will play nine benefit concerts in Nashville. The more than $3 million raised will go to help victims of the devastating flood that overtook much of Tennessee earlier this year.

Country music's Garth Brooks has earned the title of bestselling solo artist of all time, and he hasn't toured in nine years or put out a new record in three years. But for the past year, he has been playing some weekend gigs in Las Vegas.

Brooks recently enjoyed entertaining his fans on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," stopping by for the talk show host's final season.

"She was a dream, everybody there very sweet. Everything she's shooting is just, it's real emotional and it's neat to be a part of it at this time," said Brooks.

He took time away from a busy schedule that includes first and foremost his "dad" duties, plus continuing his sold out shows at the Wynn Las Vegas.

"The Vegas gig is going very well, they're treating us unbelievable and the truth is it's the easiest gig on the planet. I can do it for the rest of my life. I love it," said Brooks.

But for those fans who are hoping he may one day go back out on a concert tour, you'll have to wait a few more years.

"Our youngest is freshman in high school, we got another four or five years. I'll be turning 49 in February, so I'll be 53 or 54 when the album and the tour comes out, if it does. And if there's a place for us, I would love to tour again," Brooks said.

The country star has also been busy working behind the scenes, serving as executive producer of a new TV movie based on his 1991 hit song, "Unanswered Prayers."

"For any of the Garth fans out there, or people that might be a fan of 'Unanswered Prayers,' if you like the song, you're going to love this movie," said Brooks.

And being in the producing game is something he plans to continue.

"I just want to keep doing the stuff that feels good to my soul and my heart. So this is the second movie in 15 years of our production company," said Brooks. "This is the second movie we've ever done and both of them feel really, really good. And if that third one comes tomorrow great, if it takes another 10 years, it's worth the wait."

So in honor of this Thanksgiving season, what is Brooks most thankful for?

"Everything is about your children's health, that's it. If your children are healthy, nothing else matters. But on top of that, thank God my children are healthy, I'm married to most incredible person on the planet and life is definitely good," said Brooks.

Next month, the singer will play nine benefit concerts in Nashville. The more than $3 million raised will go to help victims of the devastating flood that overtook much of Tennessee earlier this year.