There isn’t any cause Dillon Brooks ought to be one of many greatest names within the NBA. The 27-year-old ahead wasn’t a primary spherical draft choose, he’s by no means been wherever near an All-Star, and he’s by no means been a part of a championship group. Nonetheless, Brooks grew to become one of the vital recognizable gamers within the league this season by operating his mouth off the ground and blurring the road between clear and soiled performs on it.
The Memphis Grizzlies have seen sufficient. Days after the No. 2 seed Grizzlies had been upset within the first spherical of the 2023 NBA Playoffs by the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers in six video games, the group knowledgeable Brooks he won’t be re-signed this summer time, in response to Shams Charania.
It’s uncommon for a group to come back out and say they aren’t concerned about retaining one in all their very own free brokers this early into their offseason. The best way this was worded by Charania positive it makes it appear private between Brooks and Memphis:
The Memphis Grizzlies have knowledgeable pending free agent Dillon Brooks that he won’t be introduced again beneath any circumstances, league sources say.
Full story and particulars at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/CRztYTgYi7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) Might 2, 2023
Charania’s tweet has 20K quote-tweets within the first hour with followers taking the chance to make enjoyable of Brooks. He introduced all of this upon himself.
As we wrote through the Grizzlies-Lakers collection, Brooks merely isn’t adequate to be the principle character of the NBA Playoffs. It solely felt like he was due to his questionable decision-making (that’s placing it kindly) each on and off the court docket.
Off the court docket, Brooks gave an all-time ridiculous interview in the midst of the collection the place he known as LeBron James outdated and drained.
“I don’t care, he’s outdated,” Brooks mentioned of the 38-year-old James. “I poke bears. I don’t respect nobody till they arrive and provides me 40 (factors). I delight myself on what I do on protection and taking any problem on the board.”
Brooks then proceeded to hit James within the, uh, groin and get ejected from the very subsequent recreation.
None of this was out of character for Brooks. He spent your complete season feuding with established stars, catching the ire of Draymond Inexperienced and Klay Thompson particularly. Brooks additionally hit Donovan Mitchell within the “groin” through the season. Don’t overlook that he had a unclean play in final 12 months’s playoffs too when he took out Gary Payton II mid-air on a play that fractured the Warriors guard’s elbow. Brooks was suspended for that one.
For the collection vs. the Lakers, Brooks shot 31.2 p.c from the sector and 23.8 p.c from three. He merely takes too many photographs and isn’t a adequate shooter to warrant the touches.
For his half, Brooks is saying he desires an even bigger position, and that he couldn’t present every part he might do on the Grizzlies:
On the finish of the day, Dillon Brooks desires an even bigger position, and the Grizzlies cannot supply that.
DB on Sunday: “I used to be simply there to three-and-D, shoot and play protection. I bought far more to my recreation than that.”
My story on how the 2 sides got here to a cut up. https://t.co/OYXTAeyMQC
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) Might 2, 2023
Brooks remains to be a fairly good defensive participant — and he defended LeBron properly within the first spherical collection for essentially the most half. If he can grow to be a greater shooter, he might nonetheless have numerous worth across the league. After all, he additionally must tone down the antics that made him well-known however left a foul style in everybody else’s mouth.
Brooks isn’t the principle cause the Grizzlies’ season is over. Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke had been each harm for the playoffs. Ja Morant suffered an damage, too. Brooks simply didn’t assist himself by lacking so many photographs and speaking a lot trash to among the finest gamers of all-time. He’s the kind of man solely hardcore followers ought to know, however as an alternative he acted ridiculous usually sufficient to lift his profile. It solely made the highlight brighter on his disappointing play.
Brooks ought to nonetheless have a market elsewhere, however who’s going to wish to put up with him? If the Grizzlies’ assertion appears harsh, simply know Brooks introduced this upon himself.