Grizzlies Dillon Brooks Rips Warriors Star Over Lack of ‘Vision’

Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors

Getty Tyus Jones #21 of the Memphis Grizzlies and Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors fight for the ball during the second half at FedExForum on March 28, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors fell hard to the Grizzlies in Memphis Monday night, and one member of the home team felt the need to add insult to injury during the postgame press conference.

Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks spoke to the media following his team’s 123-95 victory over the Dubs and used the opportunity to take a shot at Andre Iguodala. The Warriors traded Iguodala to Memphis in June 2019, and the three-time champion chose to sit out until the Grizzlies decided to move him to the Miami Heat in February of the following year. Brooks clearly took Iguodala’s tactics as a slight and has not yet forgotten or forgiven them.

“We all had the vision and he didn’t, which is perfect,” Brooks said of Iguodala. “Send him back to the Warriors and let him do his thing over there.”

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Brooks Calls Memphis Team a ‘Dynasty’ Following Win Over Dubs

Steph Curry

GettyStephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is guarded by Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies in the first quarter of the NBA Play-In Tournament game at Chase Center on May 21, 2021 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Brooks continued, referring to the Grizzlies as a “dynasty,” despite the fact the team as presently constituted has yet to win a playoff series.

“From the beginning, we were growing the base. We had a base, and we just kept building and building and building,” Brooks said. “More guys got on the train, and we were able to create something like this and keep building this dynasty.”

Memphis made the postseason during the 2020-21 season as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference after knocking the Warriors out of the playoff picture in the final game of the newly-contrived NBA Play-In Tournament. The Grizzlies next took on the No. 1 seed Utah Jazz in the first round, falling in that series 4-1.

Memphis recently overtook Golden State for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this season. Now up five games on the Warriors in the standings, it’s a spot the Grizzlies are likely to retain, while a hobbled Dubs squad will have to scramble over the last two weeks of the regular season to avoid slipping to the fourth seed, or even the fifth seed, in the West.


Injuries Continue to Grip Reeling Warriors as Season Winds Down

Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors

GettyStephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors competes for a loose ball against Grant Williams of the Boston Celtics in the first quarter at Chase Center on March 16, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Brooks’ victory lap on Iguodala and the Warriors might be a bit premature, especially considering Golden State played Monday night without its top three players.

Steph Curry remains out with a sprained foot ligament and is expected to miss at least the Dubs’ next two contests against the Phoenix Suns Wednesday and the Utah Jazz Saturday. Head coach Steve Kerr also decided to rest Draymond Green and Klay Thompson in Memphis, as the game was the second half of a back-to-back set on the road.

Both Thompson (39 games) and Green (30 games) have also missed huge stretches this season due to achilles and back injuries, respectively. The lack of continuity makes it hard to gauge Golden State’s true level of contention for another NBA Title. Though, history and common logic would indicate that if their best players are healthy, the Warriors are one of the last teams anyone wants to see in a seven-game playoff series.

Despite all of their injury difficulties, Iguodala said the Dubs have no excuse for playing the way they have of late — losing six of the last seven and posting a 7-15 mark across their last 22 games.

“You have no choice but to get it done. And you know, it’s just a part of the game — injuries are. And we haven’t been able to be full strength,” Iguodala said following Monday’s loss. “[We haven’t been full strength] not one minute, not even a second [all year]. It’s just a part of the game, and what we can’t do is play the blame game when things don’t turn out the way they should.”

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