Memphis Grizzlies: 15 best NBA Draft picks of all time
211. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. SF. 2017 - Round: 2 / Pick: 45 (via HOU). Dillon Brooks. 10. player
In the Pandora’s Box of misery and despair that was the 2017-18 Grizzlies season, Dillon Brooks was the glimmer of hope left behind after all the horrible things had flown out into the world.
Brooks was drafted by Houston midway through the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft and immediately traded to the Grizzlies for a future second round pick.
He debuted with a 19-point, five-rebound, four-steal performance in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans. If he’d retired after the game, he’d be down a couple of spots, but not completely ruled out of the top 15. Instead he appeared in all 82 games, starting for 74 of them, and he finished the season second on the team in minutes played.
Brooks struggled with consistency at times early in the year, but settled in over the second half of the season scoring in double figures in 34 of the 41 games in the second half of the season. In the final game of the season, he turned in a glorious 36-point, seven-rebound performance that I’ll be telling my grand kids about one day when he’s in the hall of fame.
All in all, he averaged 11 points, 3.1 boards, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from the field and just under 36 percent from three.
Brooks, who was born in Ontario, is a member of the Canadian national team and played on the World Team in the NBA Rising Stars game as part of All-Star Weekend. He scored 11 points in 15 minutes, helping the World Team to a win over Team USA in a 155-124 defensive struggle.
In an absolutely loaded draft class that appears to be on track to go down as the one of the best and deepest in NBA history, Brooks is regarded as one of the 10-12 best players and the best value in his class as the 45th overall pick.