Ja Morant’s Skills Reminds Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks of Derrick Rose [VIDEO]

Ja Morant

Currently an eighth seed in the NBA’s Western Conference standings, the Memphis Grizzlies have a big matchup Saturday evening against a LeBron James, Anthony Davis-led Los Angeles Lakers.

The Grizzlies have surprised many this season with their play and with potential NBA Rookie of the Year Ja Morant.

I caught up with Grizzlies swingman, Dillon Brooks who discussed the Grizzlies’ surprising season and what he thinks of his teammates.

Brooks even compared Ja Morant to Derrick Rose.

That’s high praise.

On Friday night, Rose erupted for 31 points against the Phoenix Suns. Rose also tallied three rebounds and four assists in the Pistons’ 113-111 win over Phoenix.

Check out our Q&A below:

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: You’re playing for a team that surprised a lot of people, and the NBA is watching the conference. Does that motivate you?

Dillon Brooks: Yeah. For sure. The past two games we’ve been playing terrible basketball, and now we’re playing a lot better. But you know that comes with the territory. You play well, the teams scout you and you know they’re scouting all of us. We’re a great team, we play team basketball, we get 25 assists a game, we love sharing the basketball, we just have to take every game and everything more seriously and have to realize that we’re not the same Memphis Grizzlies when we came in. We’re a better team and understand that we have to play every single game with our heart.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson:
When you look at the NBA particularly in the Western Conference many people talk about the Lakers, talk about the Clippers, Portland and the Utah Jazz…it’s a myriad of different teams. When you talk about the bottom tier, obviously you guys are there but you guys are young. Phoenix [Suns] was a topic earlier this year. Who plays like you guys?

Dillon Brooks: Who plays like us? I feel like that we play a lot like Milwaukee. We have guys that are similar, guys that play kinda like the same basketball, we like to run, we try to pride ourselves on defense and rebounding and translating that into offense; you know we got a guy like Jaren who could one day be like Giannis with a jump shot, Ja [Morant] is THAT point guard that everybody wants, we got shooters, we got guys that are willing to play their role and understand winning concepts and that’s what the coach is banging into our heads you know, that first the way that we have to play is unselfish, compete, play with heart, and organically make that contagious every single day and that’s why we’re in the position we’re in now.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 21: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts as he splits the defense of Dillon Brooks #24 and Jaren Jackson Jr. #13 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first quarter at Staples Center on February 21, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: You’re learning on the fly. How do you capitalize on the rest of the season?

Dillon Brooks: We nderstand that we have business to take care of. It’s the halfway point, a lot of people are surprised, we’re surprised but we have to take it in and put our whole foot through the door you know, and have a chance to make the playoffs, hold that eighth seed or seventh seed whatever it may be, and we’re going to come into every single game with the same mindset and understand that we can’t take any of these games for granted.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Ja Morant came in here against all odds. Some people compare him to Russell Westbrook, some people compare him to Allen Iverson… you play with him every day as teammate. What has surprised you from the opening day of training camp to now about him?

Dillon Brooks: He reminds me of Derrick Rose. You know, he’s a competitor. He goes in every day and puts in the work. On and off the court, he puts in the work and he understands that he is the head of the snake and he’s taken everything associated with it. He’s our franchise player, he can get to the rim, he can jump out the gym, you didn’t see it tonight but he can shoot the three. But he still has to learn the game, still has to study the game a little more, and understand that each one of these games is a test for us to see where we’re at, where we have to get better, and understand that we the way we got into this position is by working hard and competing every single time we come out on the floor.