2 Houston Rockets make not-so-great list

Dillon Brooks

Dillon Brooks has been public enemy number one for Memphis Grizzlies fans, as the Grizzlies franchise essentially blamed him for their inability to ascend and take a leap. 

Brooks put together an impressive stretch of international play during the summer, leaving many to wonder whether he'd be able to fit into what the Rockets were needing from him. It seems as though Bleacher Report doesn't believe that he has, based on Fromal's own words.

"The Houston Rockets have indeed been better with him on the court, and he's played arguably the best basketball of his career since leaving the Memphis Grizzlies for a squad undeniably on the rise. That's all well and good, but it still doesn't mean the on-floor efficacy matches the level of play that should be paired with a player generating this level of ink.

Even with his shot falling at an unsustainable 45.3 percent clip from beyond the arc (his career three-point percentage heading into 2023-24 was 34.2), Brooks doesn't get to the stripe frequently enough, create enough positive off-script plays or elevate his teammates enough to function as a distinct positive on the scoring end.

And while he's a pest on defense who can get under the skin of opposing players, he also fouls frequently and can get caught up in individual matchups at the expense of high-quality team defense to a degree that prevents him from emerging as a should-be All-Defensive candidate."

Some of this is true, which pains me to admit.

However, the most frustrating thing about the assessment of Brooks is the fact that people seem to evaluate him based solely on his contract, which is a bad evaluation of his play on the floor.

Brooks has been effective on both ends of the floor, as he's shooting 60.5 percent true shooting, which is the best gauge of offensive efficiency. Defensively, he's been a pest, as expected.

Granted, he does commit unnecessary fouls, which was on display in Tuesday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

And while it's true that Brooks will likely not sustain his 43.8 percent clip from deep, he doesn't necessarily have to. Even if he regresses (which he surely will), he'll likely still be a proficient shooter from long-range, which is good enough for this Rockets team.