Dillon Brooks has had an up-and-down start to life with the Phoenix Suns, but there is certainly reason to believe the best is yet to come. He began his tenure with a bang, playing like it was the playoffs in preseason, and even requiring stitches over the eye after a particularly physical scrimmage at practice.
The Suns defended like a team for the first time in years, and the play of Brooks was instrumental in making that happen. Then he went down with a groin issue and in his absence... the Suns actually won a couple of games and put Victor Wembanyama inside a box, the only such time that has happened this season.
Richard Jefferson claims Memphis Grizzlies never replaced Brooks.
Brooks isn't the only person in a new situation this season, as Ryen Russillo has jumped from The Ringer to Barstool Sports. On his first official episode on the new channel, Russillo had the always entertaining Richard Jefferson to talk all things NBA in the opening weeks. The Suns didn't make the cut - they're no longer contenders - but the Memphis Grizzlies sure did.
They are imploding right before out very eyes, to the point the Suns should think about picking up the phone and at least asking about Ja Morant. One of the main reasons for this according to Jefferson? Memphis never properly replaced Brooks after allowing him to go to the Houston Rockets, and they continue to pay for that mistake.
Jefferson also meant both on and off the court, which is again a massive compliment to the 29-year-old. As a forward who is sometimes undersized and can hit 3-pointers consistently the type of player he is hasn't been replicated by the Grizzlies since, while off the court he was a locker-room leader and somebody Morant (at least sometimes) appears to have listened to.
Take him out of the equation, and the Grizzlies haven't been the same since. Their loss is the Suns' gain however, as they now have a veteran leader who is already invaluable to the organization. Even little things like getting a technical against the Golden State Warriors while not even playing can both frustrate and bring a group together in equal measure.
So although Brooks will likely never make an All-Star team, and despite being overlooked everywhere he goes, each team that lets him go seems to miss him once he's departed. The Rockets are an offensive machine right now, but there will come a point where they too miss the Draymond Green impression he brings each night. Memphis needs him back.