There is no such thing as a purpose Dillon Brooks must be one of many largest names within the NBA. The 27-year-old ahead wasn’t a primary spherical draft choose, he’s by no means been wherever near an All-Star, and he’s by no means been a part of a championship staff. Nonetheless, Brooks turned one of the crucial recognizable gamers within the league this season by operating his mouth off the ground and blurring the road between clear and soiled performs on it.
The Memphis Grizzlies have seen sufficient. Days after the No. 2 seed Grizzlies have been upset within the first spherical of the 2023 NBA Playoffs by the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers in six video games, the staff knowledgeable Brooks he won’t be re-signed this summer time, in response to Shams Charania.
It’s uncommon for a staff to come back out and say they aren’t involved in retaining one in every of their very own free brokers this early into their offseason. The best way this was worded by Charania certain it makes it appear private between Brooks and Memphis:
The Memphis Grizzlies have knowledgeable pending free agent Dillon Brooks that he won’t be introduced again beneath any circumstances, league sources say.
Full story and particulars at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/CRztYTgYi7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) Might 2, 2023
Charania’s tweet has 20K quote-tweets within the first hour with followers taking the chance to make enjoyable of Brooks. He introduced all of this upon himself.
As we wrote throughout the Grizzlies-Lakers collection, Brooks merely isn’t ok to be the primary character of the NBA Playoffs. It solely felt like he was due to his questionable decision-making (that’s placing it kindly) each on and off the courtroom.
Off the courtroom, Brooks gave an all-time ridiculous interview in the midst of the collection the place he referred to as LeBron James outdated and drained.
“I don’t care, he’s outdated,” Brooks stated of the 38-year-old James. “I poke bears. I don’t respect nobody till they arrive and provides me 40 (factors). I pleasure myself on what I do on protection and taking any problem on the board.”
Brooks then proceeded to hit James within the, uh, groin and get ejected from the very subsequent sport.
None of this was out of character for Brooks. He spent all the season feuding with established stars, catching the ire of Draymond Inexperienced and Klay Thompson specifically. Brooks additionally hit Donovan Mitchell within the “groin” throughout the season. Don’t neglect that he had a unclean play in final yr’s playoffs too when he took out Gary Payton II mid-air on a play that fractured the Warriors guard’s elbow. Brooks was suspended for that one.
For the collection vs. the Lakers, Brooks shot 31.2 % from the sector and 23.8 % from three. He merely takes too many photographs and isn’t a ok shooter to warrant the touches.
For his half, Brooks is saying he desires an even bigger position, and that he couldn’t present all the pieces he might do on the Grizzlies:
On the finish of the day, Dillon Brooks desires an even bigger position, and the Grizzlies cannot provide that.
DB on Sunday: “I used to be simply there to three-and-D, shoot and play protection. I bought far more to my sport than that.”
My story on how the 2 sides got here to a cut up. https://t.co/OYXTAeyMQC
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) Might 2, 2023
Brooks remains to be a reasonably good defensive participant — and he defended LeBron effectively within the first spherical collection for probably the most half. If he can turn out to be a greater shooter, he might nonetheless have loads of worth across the league. After all, he additionally must tone down the antics that made him well-known however left a nasty style in everybody else’s mouth.
Brooks isn’t the primary purpose the Grizzlies’ season is over. Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke have been each harm for the playoffs. Ja Morant suffered an damage, too. Brooks simply didn’t assist himself by lacking so many photographs and speaking a lot trash to probably the greatest gamers of all-time. He’s the kind of man solely hardcore followers ought to know, however as a substitute he acted ridiculous typically sufficient to lift his profile. It solely made the highlight brighter on his disappointing play.
Brooks ought to nonetheless have a market elsewhere, however who’s going to wish to put up with him? If the Grizzlies’ assertion appears harsh, simply know Brooks introduced this upon himself.
