2 ex-Grizzlies primed for big seasons in 2023-24

2. Dillon Brooks

Viewed by many as the “scapegoat” for their unceremonious playoff demise against the lower-seeded Lakers, Dillon Brooks’ tenure with the Grizzlies did not end on all that spectacular of a note.

After putting forth an incredibly inefficient 2022-23 season where he shot 39.6 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from deep despite hoisting up the second-most shot attempts on the team, the long-tenured starter capped off his final year by “poking” the proverbial 6-foot-9 bear, LeBron James, under the bright lights of the postseason.

Brooks’ high-end trash talk on and off the floor could not be matched by in-game productivity, and, in the end, his polarizing approach to squaring off against arguably the game’s G.O.A.T bought him a one-way ticket out of Grind City as he approached unrestricted free agency.

Of course, things didn’t end up turning out all that bad for the 27-year-old, as he managed to ink a lucrative four-year, $80 million deal with the retooling Houston Rockets.

Now, he comes into his first season in Space City with a chip on his shoulder attached to a payday that suggests he’ll be taking on an important role within head coach Ime Udoka’s scheme.

Already we’ve seen the motivated Brooks explode during his final game of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, finishing with 39 points, five assists, and four rebounds to guide Team Canada to a bronze medal over Team USA while earning himself Player of the Game honors in the process.

With a full training camp and preseason under his belt to get accustomed to his new squad, there’s a chance Brooks could find himself producing more closely to his 2019-2021 self than his recent 2021-2023 form.