Dillon Brooks is feeling the heat as he gets to play against his former team.
Brooks spent his first six years with the Grizzlies before going to the Rockets in the offseason as part of a five-team mega trade, and now, the 27-year-old is taking on his former teammates on Wednesday in his first game against Memphis.
In the lead-up to the matchup, Brooks said he believes the Grizzlies are missing out by not having him in their lineup anymore.
Brooks said Memphis, which has started the season with a 3-10 record, has “no swagger.”
“It’s like the girlfriend that you used to have,” Brooks told the Houston Chronicle. “You don’t know how good she is until she’s gone.
“I don’t worry about the past. I’m here building a future with these guys. I’m here for another three years and then some. I want to get the Rockets back to the playoffs and the Rockets to be one of the best teams.”
Those comments did not sit well with Tony Allen, who played seven seasons with the Grizzlies, though he did not overlap with Brooks.
Allen, a six-time NBA All-Defensive Team member, spoke on the “Chris Vernon Show” about how Brooks was recently taken to task by his nemesis LeBron James.
“You the same chick, believe me,” said Allen of Brooks. “I just saw what LeBron just did to him too. He gave him 37, 9 and 8. He’s still over there getting his ass bust. We ain’t miss nothing, trust me. Come on man, stop it.”
Though the stats James put up were actually 37 points, eight assists and six rebounds on Sunday against the Rockets, the future Hall-of-Famer did have a big night against Brooks and the Rockets.
The game ended up being decided in the final seconds when Brooks got overzealous on defense, missing on a steal attempt and letting James walk in on the basket, where he was eventually fouled and hit two free throws to clinch the win.
As for Allen’s “same” comments, in terms of stats, Brooks’ numbers this season closely resemble those he had in six years with Memphis.
Through 12 games with Houston, Brooks has averaged 13.9 and 3.9 rebounds per game after averaging 14.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per night with the Grizzlies.
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