Getty Former Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks.
Dillon Brooks quickly became public enemy No. 1 for the Los Angeles Lakers fan base during last season’s playoff run. In the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, Brooks openly said in an April 19 postgame interview that he doesn’t respect LeBron James because he hasn’t scored 40 points on him. He also got ejected in Game 3 for hitting James in the groin.
The Memphis Grizzlies decided to move on from Brooks after six years with the team. However, he was able to land on his feet. On July 1, the veteran forward landed a four-year contract with the Houston Rockets worth $80 million, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
After shooting 31.2% from the field in the playoffs and 23.8% from three, some were surprised to see Brooks get $20 million a year. One person who appears to have been surprised was new Lakers forward Taurean Prince. He liked a tweet that showed a video of James and Anthony Davis laughing in response to Brooks’ contract.
Taurean Prince’s recent Twitter like 🤣
While it’s not a direct shot from Prince, it’s notable that he’d publicly like a tweet throwing shade at the forward. That’s a good way to get on James’ good side early in his Lakers tenure.
JJ Reddick Defends Dillon Brooks
While Dillon Brooks has been the butt of many jokes since he went after LeBron James, the Rockets clearly think he’s a valuable player. Disappointing playoff performance aside, he has proven to be an impact player. He was named NBA All-Defensive Second Team last season and averaged 14.3 points a game. He’s also only 27 years old so there’s still room for him to grow.
Former NBA guard JJ Redick has defended Brooks and clapped back at his doubters following the signing.
“Everybody spent a month clowning this guy. They clowned him during the Lakers series, and after the report came out. I saw all the memes about him needing to learn Mandarin because he was going to go play in China,” Reddick said on the July 2 episode of his “The Old Man & The Three” podcast.
“He just signed for $80 million. He’s a good player, a valuable player. I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again. I want a Dillon Brooks on my team. I want a disrupter. I want a guy that’s a pest, and I want a guy who can defend at his level. He’s an all-defensive type player. You need those guys on your team.”
Taurean Prince Likely to Come off Bench: Insider
Dillon Brooks is set to be a 3-and-D wing for the Rockets, but the Lakers found their own this offseason in Taurean Prince. He’s a 37.2% 3-point shooter in his career, which will come in handy with fellow wing Jarred Vanderbilt shooting 28.8% from beyond the arc over his career. However, Prince isn’t likely to have a huge role for the Lakers next season.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the plan is for Prince to come off the bench during the season.
“He’ll likely come off the bench, backing up James and Hachimura as a floor-spacer in catch-and-shoot, kick-out and pick-and-pop situations,” Buha wrote in a June 30 report. “Prince is tough and rates out as an above-average defender in most advanced metrics.”