Ex-Grizzlies forward rips Dillon Brooks, questions his place in the NBA
By Mark Nilon
Recently departed wing Dillon Brooks has received quite a bit of criticism for his final season with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2022-23 campaign.
From his truly abysmal scoring efficiency (produced the worst true shooting percentage of his career at 49.4 percent) to his poking of the bear shenanigans during the club’s one-and-done playoff series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, the 27-year-old wound up becoming something of a scapegoat for Grind City’s follies.
While there are those such as former NBA sniper JJ Redick who believe the criticisms have been completely unjust, during a recent appearance on the aforementioned’s The Old Man and the Three podcast (technically) former Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala took the condemnation of Brooks to an entirely new level, as he went as far as to question the veteran’s place in the association.
Andre Iguodala rips former Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks
"“There’s certain guys in the NBA that wouldn’t be in the NBA if they didn’t have that crazy mentality or how they view themselves,” Iguodala said. “There’s a selfishness within how they view themselves. If Dillon Brooks wasn’t crazy, he wouldn’t be in the NBA.”"
Redick, to little surprise considering his backing of Brooks in the past, combated Iguodala a bit during his analysis, particularly when it came to his usage of the word “selfishness,” as he would suggest that it’s more an example of “survival of the fittest” when it comes to arguably lesser talents succeeding in the league as a result of their mental state and individual drive.
This is by no means the first example of public animosity involving the likes of Iguodala and Brooks, as the latter has gone on to chastise the former Finals MVP on numerous occasions over the last few years, particularly as a result of Iggy’s unwillingness to become a member of the Grizzlies despite being traded to the franchise back in 2019.
Even with this scrutiny, however, it should go without saying that Dillon has shown an ability to put up admirable numbers at times throughout his six seasons thus far in the league.
From 2019-20 onward, Brooks finds himself sporting solid averages of 16.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per contest and was also named to an All-Defensive Second Team this past season.
Though widely regarded as an obscene overpay, as a result of his efforts the swingman managed to net himself a lucrative new deal at a worth of $80 million over a four-year span with the Houston Rockets this summer, thus showing that he is certainly viewed as more of a valuable commodity than both Iguodala and, frankly, the Grizzlies believe him to be.
