What good is it when you can't properly back up your claims? It's a question the NBA media was asking the Memphis Grizzlies this entire season. It all started when Ja Morant's behavior began to hit national news, as he reportedly punched a teenage boy in a pickup game. Oh, and he would also go on to flash a gun on Instagram Live and would be sidelined nearly the entirety of March. The relatively young Grizzlies team, led by stars like Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., has been plagued with controversy.
Enter Dillon Brooks. A second-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Oregon, and a 2023 NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team selection. And a man who "pokes bears". In the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs, the Grizzlies lost to the LeBron James-led Lakers in 6 games. In fact, the Grizzlies were demolished in Game 6, losing 125-85. During the series, after a Game 2 win by the Grizzlies that tied the series at one win apiece, Brooks had some viral comments to make. Brooks guarded James throughout the game, and things got snippy at times between the two.
“I poke bears," Brooks commented, referring to LeBron James. "I don’t respect no one until they come and give me 40 (points). I pride myself on what I do on defense and taking any challenge on the board.” USAToday would report that Brooks would be ejected in the following game for backhanding James' groin area, the illegal play resulting in a Flagrent 2 foul. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if the, possibly, greatest player in basketball history can't score 40 points on you, because he would lead his team to a 40-point win in Game 6.
One of the biggest storylines in today's NBA is if the Memphis Grizzlies are the "villains", as in they are a championship-contending team that is unlikeable due to the fact they are dangerously good. USAToday stated it the best, writing, "The Grizzlies should be one of the most likable teams in the league. They have one of the most talented, exciting players in the league in Morant. Jaren Jackson Jr. is this season’s Defensive Player of the Year. The team was built through the draft... It’s a small-market team that could compete for a championship. They should be celebrated." When you have this much talent and potential to be loved, why ruin it by being loudmouths and doing off-the-court shenanigans?
On May 2, 2023, the NBA got some ground-breaking, albeit hilarious news. The Athletic's Sham Charania would report, via Twitter, "The Memphis Grizzlies have informed pending free agent Dillon Brooks that he will not be brought back under any circumstances." Many have blamed the Grizzlies' lack of a deep playoff run on Brooks. A lot of attention has been brought to him over the second half of the season, undoubtedly. It's almost to the point where there is no reason to really be talking about him.
Klay Thompson brought up a good but depressing point back in March. "I don't care about Dillon Brooks," Thompson stated, as reported by NBC Sports. "When he retires, I don't think anyone will ever talk about Dillon Brooks again. I promise you. It's sweet right now, but wait 10 years." Brooks plays his role, he's a wing-stopper and a fairly good defender, as evident by his All-Defensive Second Team selection. Outside of that, Brooks isn't the most athletic and has too inconsistent of shooting to be anything close to a big deal.
Ricky O'Donnell of SB Nation may have written it the best: "There’s no doubt that Brooks brings all of this on himself. Most players are his stature are completely anonymous to casual fans. Instead, sports TV shows talk about Brooks like a player who is twice as good as he actually is."
Let's look at it this way. Draymond Green was talked about only a few years back just as Brooks is talked about now. Green similarly has a loud mouth and went viral for his frequent occurrences of kicking opponents in their crotchal regions. Yet, Green is an X-factor in what makes the Golden State Warriors such a feared team, and a reason why they won 4 championships since 2015. The things Green does for his team can not be expressed by surface-level statistics. Green is an excellent playmaker and is one of the NBA's best defenders in its history. He has 8 total All-Defensive selections, a Defensive Player of the Year trophy in 2017, and even was the NBA's leader in steals for the 2017 season. Green is also a great leader for his team. Then again, he has not strayed away from controversy, even in recent memory.
Brooks doesn't even have a fraction of those accolades or attributes. Green is an example of a player who may get talked about too much, but at least he has honor to his name. Brooks does not, however. It's good to ask again, does Brooks really deserve the amount of press he is receiving?
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