Dillon Brooks knows exactly what to work on to succeed in his sophomore season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
On the most recent episode of the Fastbeak Breakfast podcast, the guys had Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies as a celebrity guest. Within the interview, Brooks outlined specific items that he will work on as early as the opening of training camp.
During the segment, Dillon Brooks stated the following quote when asked about the aspects of his game he wants to improve:
"“To really knock down the three…I want to get my percentages up so guys have to respect that. Just ball-handling, having a couple moves I can go to or not getting the ball taken away. Those are two things I’ve really honed in.”"
During his first professional season, Dillon shot 44% from the field, including 35.6% from beyond the arc. You cannot ask for much more from a second round pick. However, all eyes are on him in his sophomore season to see if he continues to find greatness or if he will land in the career path of a role player (which is not a bad thing at all).
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Memphis has been longing for knock-down three-point shooters nearly all decade long. Dillon Brooks has proven to be a guy that can do just that, and occassionally create his own shot when the team needs it most. Attempting just over three triples per game in 2017-18, expect the Grizzlies to take advantage of Brooks’ presence more in the upcoming season.
In speaking of his presence on the hardwood, Dillon will have to adjust to sliding down to the two-guard position due to the arrival of fifth-year small forward Kyle Anderson. Ultimately, it is not a huge change and it only adds to the team’s depth. A variety of advantages become unlocked with this scenario.
Fastbreak Breakfast gauged Dillon Brooks’ opinion on Anderson and how the two wings can coexist in the upcoming season.
"“We both make plays. I’m trying to get my three better so I can spot up for him. He is a crafty player. He plays to his strengths, his abilities. I feel like, with him running the show sometimes and making plays, we can have the best success.”"
Dillon seems rather upbeat about the idea of playing with Anderson in the same five-man group. It is very likely this is two of the team’s starting five on Opening Night versus the Indiana Pacers.
With Brooks in the role of shooting guard, his improvement on ball-handling becomes a high priority. The better he becomes with controlling the rock, the more relief Mike Conley will receive at the point. It is no secret that Conley excels with moving without the ball in his hands.
The pressure is on for Dillon Brooks in Year Two of his NBA journey. Though he deserves more praise than he recived from the league for his strides made as a rookie, he cannot lose focus in growing as a player. The more diverse his skill set becomes, the more wins the Memphis Grizzlies will earn in 2018-19.
As an NBA rookie in 2017-18, Dillon Brooks appeared in all 82 regular season games — the only first-year player of last season to accomplish the feat. He produced 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 28.7 minutes per game. It will be interesting to watch his impact within a season with a healthy Grizzlies roster.
Go Grizz!