Dillon Brooks spent the 2022-23 NBA season in the headlines, and not for his performance on the basketball court. While his team maintained their spot as the 2-seed in the Western Conference for most of the year, Brooks was playing the villain role, talking trash to opponents and calling them out in media sessions and interviews. He was able to back it up at times, but things got rough for him and the team as the season wore on and progressed.

Dillon Brooks: I’m In Their Mind Before The Game Starts

“I know every single night, guys are thinking about me. It’s in their mind before the game even starts.”

Dillon Brooks on making second team All-Defense last season

(via @KellyIko, https://t.co/NRzhN6OlOf) pic.twitter.com/CZJOOojS4l

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 9, 2023

There was turmoil throughout the Memphis Grizzlies roster all season. Not only was Brooks constantly making headlines, but so was their star player Ja Morant, who was having issues with breaking the law and damaging his reputation. The team was able to maintain their spot in the Western playoff race, though, and hosted the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

We all remember what happened there. Brooks went to the cameras and called LeBron James “old”, and saying that he was poking the bear by spewing the comments. James took it personally, and the Lakers dominated the Grizzlies for the remainder of the series. In 6 games against LA, Dillon Brooks averaged 10.5 points on 31% shooting from the field and 23% from deep.

Brooks Received $80 Million From The Rockets

Dillon Brooks, unplugged on @TheAthletic

▪️Why he’s ecstatic about Tari Eason

▪️Aligning with Ime Udoka + early conversations with the young core

▪️Bringing “contagious defensive energy”

▪️The VanVleet effect, scheming with Sengun + much more. https://t.co/N4CKgNj2yU

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) July 9, 2023

They would be the final few games of Brooks’ career with the Grizzlies, who decided not to renew his contract for next season. But the player wasn’t out of work for long, as he received a hefty $80 million pay day from the Houston Rockets when free agency opened at the beginning of July.

He is already back to his trash talking ways. In a recent Q&A session with The Athletic, Brooks opened up and talked about his future with the Rockets, and included a message for his opponents:

“I know every single night, guys are thinking about me. It’s in their mind before the game even starts.”

It certainly feels like more trash talk from a guy that has struggled in the past to back it up with his play. But Dillon Brooks is not the slouch on the court that he’s been made out to be since the season ended. His shooting percentages and efficiency certainly need improvement, but he is one of the better defenders in the league. He averaged over 14 points last season while playing in 73 total games, and even finished on the NBA Second-Team All Defense.

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