The Houston Rockets are enjoying a 3-game winning streak after back-to-back blowout wins over the Sacramento Kings, but they’re going to get tested in a big way this week with the Lakers, Pelicans, and Nuggets all coming to town.
Dillon Brooks is enjoying a strong start to his tenure in Houston, as he’s taken advantage of a fresh start after the way things ended in Memphis. Brooks is enjoying a highly efficient first two weeks of the season, averaging 16.3 points per game on 59.3/56.6/93.8 shooting splits, and has seemingly fully bought into his role with the Rockets as an off-ball player so far. On defense, he’s doing what he always does, applying pressure on the ball and looking to frustrate opponents — and, aside from his preseason debut, has avoided the shenanigans.
However, Wednesday’s game might be the first test of the new and improved Brooks, as he faces the foe that effectively ousted him in Memphis in LeBron James and the Lakers. Brooks rather famously called James old, then hit LeBron below the belt and got ejected from Game 3, and saw James put the dagger in the Grizzlies by going right through him at the end of Game 4. Even Brooks’ teammates thought his poking of the bear helped breathe some life into James and the Lakers, but it doesn’t appear that was the takeaway from Brooks.
On Tuesday, the veteran wing said he was “ready to lock him up” when asked about matching up with James, noting the league’s all-time leading scorer is playing great this year but it’s his job to tire him out and make him work.
Dillon Brooks on his matchup with LeBron
“Ready to lock him up” pic.twitter.com/YnNNUMZWk5
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) November 7, 2023
Nothing he says here is particularly inflammatory — and everything after “ready to lock him up” is absolutely true and what he should be trying to do. The issue comes in those first five words, which again, aren’t crossing any lines or anything like that but just seem to be asking to put a larger target on your back.
That said, he could’ve kept quiet as a church mouse prior to this game and if LeBron went off everyone would’ve gotten their jokes off, so I guess you might as well double down. As always, it’ll come down to who comes out the winner on Wednesday night.