Current Rockets guard Dillon Brooks felt unsupported during his time on the Grizzlies during last season’s Western Conference playoffs, as detailed by Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. Brooks was lambasted on social media following public disputes with the likes of Draymond Green and LeBron James, which ultimately paved the way for his exit from Memphis.
The Grizzlies fell to the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs last season in disappointing fashion as a No. 2 seed squaring off against a No. 7 seed. Brooks’ comments suggesting LeBron was past his prime, calling him “old,” and the public backlash were among the top highlights from that series. The former Oregon Duck averaged 10.5 points in that series, shooting a poor 31.2% from the field, prompting the team to let Brooks know that he wouldn’t be brought back under any circumstance.
“What I didn’t like about Memphis was they allowed that so they can get out of the woodwork, and then I’m the scapegoat of it all,” Brooks said. “That’s what I didn’t appreciate. And then ultimately they’ll come to me on the low, as men, one on one and tell me something, but then not defend me when everything went down.”
Brooks spent the first six seasons of his career with the Grizzlies after they selected him with the 45th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He played 345 games there (318 as a starter) and averaged 14.5 points across those seasons. After the Grizzlies didn’t bring him back, he was part of a five-team deal (on a sign-and-trade) that landed him with the Rockets with a brand-new four-year, $86M deal. Still, he wasn’t happy with the way his time in Memphis ended.
“It wasn’t what I wanted,” Brooks said. “The whole season was not what I wanted. I feel like we did better when I was a focal point in that organization. They chose a different route. But I’m happy that through all the bulls— I was able to get what I always deserved.”
Now, Brooks is a veteran leader on a Rockets team that looked to reinvent itself this offseason. He’s averaging 13.7 points while hitting a career-best 53.3% of his 3.3 deep-ball attempts per game, helping the Rockets get out to a 6-3 start on the season.
There’s more from the Southwest Division.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!