No one would have imagined him leaving with the best player trophy at the end of this meeting. In the event of a Canadian victory over the United States, everyone would naturally have bet on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But despite a new very high level performance from the latter (31 points and 12 assists), it is indeed his teammate Dillon Brooks who was distinguished in this victory synonymous with a bronze medal.
“ I’m very proud of Dillon. This is what it looks like when you let Dillon Brooks play. And it’s not just about defense. Along with Lu Dort, he is the best defender in the World Cup. But he is extremely effective in attack “, congratulates his coach Jordi Fernandezaccording to whom “SGA” remains the MVP of the competition.
Dillon “Splash” Brooks
To suggest that the Americans would have “let the Rockets rookie play” is a bit strong. But the former Grizzlies bulldog, who would have loved to face his former teammate Jaren Jackson Jr., was the main beneficiary of the numerous double-takes suffered by “SGA”. Confident and good in his shooting since his great 22-point outing against Spain, the winger started by planting… his first six 3-point attempts.
“ I never stopped working on it, when we started working with Canada, I felt that this was what I was missing. […] After each workout, I do shooting exercises with Lu (Sleeps) by trying to raise the level and being patient. It comes by itself. I never wanted to force shots. My role in this team was to pay attention to shot selection. I think I did a good job at this World Cup », can congratulate himself Brooks who climbed onto the podium of the best 3-point shooters of the tournament with… 59% success!
Which is well beyond his most modest 34% by far since the start of his NBA career. It must be said that his outing against his big league counterparts helped to increase the percentage. His final royal 7/8 by far fueled the best performance of his life, ending with 39 points (12/18 on shots), 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks for 42 rating.
Motivated by “haters”
Not to mention a still notable physical impact in defense and a bunch of decisive actions in the final moments, including his “fadeaway” against Austin Reaves two minutes from the end of overtime. He was so good that the public in the Philippines, who used to whistle this rival of the Lakers, changed his “ MVP “.
“ They did the same thing in Jakarta. It’s an amazing feeling to be recognized during the match. But I never take that for granted. The work doesn’t stop there. He keeps on. I am not satisfied, nor any member of this team “, warns the 27-year-old player who assumes his role as “bad guy” only on the courts.
The latter says he fed on the “haters” he… “ thanks “. “ Since the beginning, everyone who has sent me messages on Twitter and Instagram watching me play, it helps me improve every day. It motivates me to do better on the field for my teammates and for the team I play for. This motivates me to continue. »
With this bronze medal around his neck, Dillon Brooks will resume his NBA career in a new environment while trying to erase a very mixed last season with the Grizzlies. Then there will be a new international meeting for Canada and him with the Paris Olympic Games.
This 3rd place is therefore an accomplishment but certainly not the end of the journey for this team: “ We won bronze, we continue to write the history of this country. But it doesn’t stop. We must continue to move forward. Because they like it when you’re on top, like right now, but when you have a bad game, they come down on you. You should never be satisfied. You always have to keep working. »
| Dillon Brooks | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | SAME | 82 | 29 | 44.0 | 35.6 | 74.7 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 11.0 |
| 2018-19 | SAME | 18 | 18 | 40.2 | 37.5 | 73.3 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 7.5 |
| 2019-20 | SAME | 73 | 29 | 40.7 | 35.8 | 80.8 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 16.2 |
| 2020-21 | SAME | 67 | 30 | 41.9 | 34.4 | 81.5 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 17.2 |
| 2021-22 | SAME | 32 | 28 | 43.2 | 30.9 | 84.9 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 18.4 |
| 2022-23 | SAME | 73 | 30 | 39.6 | 32.6 | 77.9 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 14.3 |
| Total | 345 | 29 | 41.6 | 34.2 | 79.5 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 14.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
