Memphis Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks reportedly ‘behind schedule’ in rehab, return delayed

Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman has provided an update on star wing player Dillon Brooks and his status as he recovers from an injury sustained Jan. 8 at Crypto.com Arena against the Los Angeles Clippers.

“To give an update on where he’s at, Dillon is doing very well in his rehab,” Kleiman said. “A little bit behind the schedule that was out there initially. It’ll probably be early March, I would say is the likely target for Dillon’s return,” Kleiman said in a quote obtained by the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

We hadn’t heard any real news about how Brooks has been progressing, so it’s nice to finally hear something, even if it wasn’t the news we all wanted to hear.

The original timeline for Brooks was that he’d miss 3-5 weeks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Feb. 12 is five weeks exactly since the injury occurred, so pushing it back to early March means he’ll miss a total of about 8 weeks. Perhaps a targeted date of March 8 would be fitting— the Grizzlies will take on the New Orleans Pelicans on TNT that day, exactly eight weeks since his injury.

Memphis Grizzlies haven’t missed a beat in the absence of Dillon Brooks

The team is 12-4 since the heart and soul of the team went down with an injury during the Grizzlies game at the Los Angeles Clippers.

It’s truly been a team effort to pick-up the slack in Brooks’ absence. Ja Morant has played so well that he’s been named an starter in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Desmond Bane will participate in the 3 pt Contest and compete in the NBA’s Rising Stars Competition.

Steven Adams has been playing great, as has Brandon Clarke. Jaren Jackson, Jr. has had his ups-and-downs, but it’s been mostly positive.

The team was able to persevere through several different rounds of Health & Safety Protocols, too.

Things are really clicking for the team, currently boasting the third-best record in the NBA.

There’s no reasons for the Memphis Grizzlies to rush Brooks back to the team, especially with the rest of the team playing so well.

A healthy, rested and hungry Dillon Brooks is going to be an absolute behemoth for opposing teams once the Playoffs arrive.