The Memphis Grizzlies went through a strangely public break up with Dillon Brooks. While teams decide players aren’t part of their long-term plans all the time, reports indicated that Memphis straight up told Brooks that he was not in their plans “under any circumstances” as he was preparing to hit unrestricted free agency.
Things ended up working out pretty well from Brooks, who got a big bag from the Houston Rockets and has been an important part of their early season success this year, all while the Grizzlies scuffle due to injuries and Ja Morant’s suspension. And with his first game against his old team popping up next week, Brooks spoke to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated and got a whole lot of stuff off his chest, including his belief that the team’s success was directly tied to the size of his role.
“It wasn’t what I wanted,” Brooks said of his departure from Memphis. “The whole season was not what I wanted. I feel like we did better when I was a focal point in that organization. They chose a different route. But I’m happy that through all the bullsh*t I was able to get what I always deserved.”
While Brooks played more last season than he did at any other point of his tenure in Memphis, he saw his efficiency numbers fall off considerably, as he shot a career-worst 39.6 percent from the field. While the team won 51 games and earned the 2-seed in the Western Conference, they fell in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round of the playoffs.
