New Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks doesn’t come without his share of past controversies, but he also brings a substantial amount of toughness and wing defense to a young team that needs it.
Count JJ Redick, formerly an accomplished NBA player and currently a distinguished league analyst with ESPN, as among those who believes the good with Brooks clearly outweighs the bad.
Here’s what Redick said about Brooks — formerly of the Memphis Grizzlies — on his podcast, known as The Old Man & The Three.
Among his comments:
Everybody spent a month clowning this guy. They clowned him during the Lakers series, and after the report came out. I saw all the memes about him needing to learn Mandarin, because he was going to go play in China.
He just signed for $80 million. He’s a good player, a valuable player. I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again. I want a Dillon Brooks on my team. I want a disrupter. I want a guy that’s a pest, and I want a guy who can defend at his level. He’s an all-defensive type player. You need those guys on your team.
Now 27 years old, Brooks is signing with the Rockets on a four-year, $80-million deal. His $20-million annual salary ranks second on the team behind only fellow newcomer Fred VanVleet.
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Story originally appeared on Rockets Wire