Open shirt, shiny gold chain, Dillon Brooks is preparing to put on a show in the Grizzlies locker room.
Memphis has just won Game 2 of the series against the Lakers, without Ja Morant, and even if the winger was still clumsy (12 points at 5/14 shooting) and hampered by fouls (5 in 23 minutes), he feels he has done his job.
The proof ? LeBron James finally spoke to him, when the referees whistled his fourth foul…
“I said to him: ‘Oh, finally you want to talk’. Then we started a conversation” explains Dillon Brooks to ESPN. “I just let him know he couldn’t take me one-on-one. He doesn’t. He can watch the videos. He had never taken me one-on-one before that moment. When he came out he was tired. So I did my job. »
Obviously, for the Memphis player, the fact that LeBron James is finally talking to him is a sign that he is starting to get into his head. So he adds a layer.
“I don’t care, he’s old. You see what I mean ? I was expecting it. I expected him to do that in Game 4 and 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have said that earlier. But I tickle bears. Besides, I don’t respect anyone until they score 40 points against me. »
“He’s not at the same level he was in Cleveland or when he was winning titles in Miami. I would have liked to see him at that level. It would have been a more difficult task.”
Dillon Brooks continues.
“He’s not at the same level he was in Cleveland or when he was winning titles in Miami. I would have liked to see him at that level. It would have been a more difficult task, but I face what I have. I’m just going to wear him out over a seven game streak and see if he can handle it. See if he wants to play the battle one-on-one or if he wants to stay on the side of the field to shoot. »
True to his usual strategy, and even if he still provides “respect LeBron James”, the Memphis winger therefore seeks to provoke his direct opponent to disturb him. Off the pitch like on this one, as Dillon Brooks explains his plan is to give “small blows here and there to tire” LeBron James and that he therefore cannot afford to make mistakes on the “role players”.
“I have to use these fouls on LeBron and [Anthony Davis] and the guys I defend, especially when the referees want to whistle all the little things”he concludes. “We know the playoffs, the game is tough. But they are finding ways to bring back the regular season stuff. I’m not here for that. I’m here for the playoff game, so hopefully they can control that. »
| Dillon Brooks | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 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 = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
