Dillon Brooks in making all the headlines after he challenged LeBron James. But Brooks will be an unrestricted free agent this summer for the first time. Many feel his tenure with Memphis Grizzlies may end after his lacklustre performances in the ongoing series against the Lakers.
First Things First podcast host Nick Wright believes the same. He even has predicted the team that may land Brooks next season. Wright believes that the small forward will be a good player for the Houston Rockets. They have recently hired Ime Udoka as their new head coach and Wright believes that the small forward will fit in nicely. He also highlights how Houston needs to focus on their defense and Brooks will only bolster that area if he joins.
“I hope Dillon Brooks enjoys his last couple of games as a Grizzly. They’re not going great, maybe he’ll have a good one. He will be a good culture setter for Ime Udoka and the Houston Rockets next year, I’ll call that shot right now. I think that’s going to happen. He’s a free agent and they have cap space, they need a vet, they need defensive minds,” Wright stated his thoughts on Brooks’s new destination.
Wright criticizes Brooks for not being good enough to pick fights with LeBron. He also grills him for running away from the media. Brooks after challenging LeBron has simply not walked the talk. He was completely dominated by the veteran and simply stood no ground. Hence the backlash was pretty much expected.
“So here’s the problem: you’re just not good enough,” Wright continued. “… Then, he once again doesn’t stay true to the cartoon character he’s developed, and he runs from the media availability. I don’t know, maybe he has an appointment to go up the chimney where the Grizzlies want all the smoke, I heard, and they have no problems in the West and they want the Lakers. But (it) doesn’t seem to work out for them very well.”
There is no clear indication from the Grizzlies whether they want to bring Brooks back to the team or not. They are more focused on the series at hand against the Lakers. They will enter game 5 with the intention to stretch the series longer as they are 3-1 down.
Even Richard Jefferson was not happy with Ja Morant and Brooks avoiding the media after they dropped Game 4. The former NBA star feels that it shows a player’s character when they are ready to face tough questions from the media after a loss. He highlights how everyone jumps to the podium to face the media when they have won.
“You can’t talk the talk and then not walk the walk. It’s okay to make a mistake. It’s okay to have a bad game and then go face it, ’cause when you win, everybody wants to talk when they win. They are sprinting to the podium. Everybody’s up there. When you struggle, that’s really where you show your true character,” Jefferson said on NBA Today.
Both Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks will have to be at their best when they will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 at the FedEx forum. The Grizzlies will be desperate to get back to winning ways and see where it goes from there.
