Memphis Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks gives parting shot to Warriors after Game 6 elimination

A spectacular, franchise-defining season has come to a close for the Memphis Grizzlies despite a gallant effort to knock off the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals.

The team’s efforts were highlighted by a blow-out Game 5 win without Ja Morant, who was essentially ruled out of the remainder of the playoffs after suffering a knee injury near the end of Game 4.

The Grizzlies surpassed all expectations during the 2021-22 season by finishing with the second-best record in the NBA during the regular season despite having the second-youngest roster in the NBA.

There’s no doubt about it, these Memphis Grizzlies will no longer be viewed as underdogs or unlikely candidates to compete for championships.

Dillon Brooks gets final laugh despite Memphis Grizzlies being eliminated

An extremely contentious series filled with scores of flagrant-2 fouls, ejections, suspensions, and lots of trash talking after the Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 110-96 in San Francisco on May 13 during Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

“We’re young, and they’re getting old. They know that we are going to come every single year,” Dillon Brooks said in his post-game comments after falling to the Warriors 4-2 in the best-of-seven series.

In just a few moments, Brooks was able to cut right to the bone of these Golden State Warriors and remind them of their basketball mortality.

Stephen Curry is 34 years old. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are 32 years old—these guys have projected their dominance on the league for years now. Curry was 27 when he won his first championship. Thompson and Green were 25.

Brooks’ comments are a reminder that the Grizzlies are already nearly as good as this iteration of the Warriors, despite being significantly younger in age.

Steven Adams was the team’s oldest player this season at the ripe age of 28— a full 4 years younger than Thompson and Green.

Superstar Ja Morant is 22 years old. Jaren Jackson Jr. is also 22. Promising rookie and significant contributor Ziaire Williams is 20. Desmond Bane, a fast-rising star in this league as a shooter and scorer is 23.

What Brooks is implying with his comments is that the Grizzlies are going to be good and they’re going to be good for a really long time.

It’s only a matter of when they can finally scale that mountain and overtake the throne that Golden State has painstakingly erected over the last decade that’s in question.

As long as the Grizzlies keep their core together, continue to grow, and remain healthy, the sky is the limit.