In the 2022-23 season, Dillon Brooks had a rough year with the Grizzlies. He was a full-time starter for Memphis, but never made a huge impact offensively. It was his sixth and final season after being dealt in a sign-and-trade to the Rockets. They gave him a four-year, $86 million contract. Brooks was present at Summer League to watch his young Rockets teammates. He said that Houston feels like “exactly the same team” that Memphis had 3-4 years ago.
The Houston Rockets had one of the youngest teams in the NBA last season by average age. This offseason, Houston added a few veteran pieces to help build a winning culture. Dillon Brooks had been linked to the Rockets towards the end of the regular season and that’s exactly how it played out.
His time with the Grizzlies was over and Houston was the perfect fit for Brooks. He’s played his entire career for Memphis and it will be his first time on a new team. The Rockets will be relying on his leadership and veteran knowledge throughout the season.
“I feel like it’s exactly the same team from 3-4 years ago. Jalen is like Ja Morant. Jabari is like Jaren. Young guys that can expand their games to be the best in the league.”
– Dillon Brooks on the Rockets
(h/t @JTGatlin )
pic.twitter.com/pknlz96gkQ— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) July 11, 2023
Dillon Brooks is happy to have found a new home with the Houston Rockets
Jackson Gatlin, an NBA reporter covering the Rockets, asked Brooks what has prepared him for his new role in Houston. His response was not centered on himself, but rather on the new teammates he has and what he sees in them. It was a rather bold statement from Brooks. You would expect nothing less from a player like himself.
Brooks said that he feels like the Rocket’s current roster is “exactly the same team” that Memphis had 3-4 years ago. The former second-round pick compared Ja Morant to his new teammate Jalen Green. Additionally, he said that Jabari Smith Jr. is like Jarren Jackson Jr. from Memphis.
Smith Jr. and Green are both young stars in the NBA who have all-star-caliber potential. Brooks has seen what a winning culture looks like and the steps that need to be taken to get there. That’s why they’ve brought him in to get back to their winning ways from not too long ago. The 2023-24 season should be an interesting, but exciting year for the Rockets.
