After ending the 2022-23 NBA season as one of the worst teams in the league, the Houston Rockets decided to revamp the roster in a big way when they invested a large chunk of their cap space in Dillon Brooks.
The Rockets gave Brooks a hefty four-year deal to help change the organization’s culture and give the young players a true veteran who will hold them accountable over the course of the regular season.
Brooks had a rough end to last season as he and the Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, but has a chance to rehab his value as a key member of Houston’s squad.
However, the Rockets should feel better about signing Brooks in free agency as he had a great run during the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Brooks helped Canada capture the bronze medal against Team USA, a massive accomplishment for the rising national team that features several other NBA talents.
The new Rockets wing was instrumental in their victory as he dropped 39 points in the overtime win, but he also took home an award for his defensive chops via The Dunk Central.
Dillon Brooks has won Best Defensive Player of the World Cup 🔒 pic.twitter.com/KR1KkObUDG
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 10, 2023
Brooks was a defensive pest throughout the tournament as he routinely hounded opposing teams’ wings, making them as uncomfortable as possible with his physicality and tenacity.
The Rockets were one of the worst defensive teams last season, but that figures to change once Brooks hits the floor with his new team in the coming months.
