There is no player in the NBA that is associated with more drama and controversy than Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard, Dillon Brooks. Brooks is one of the biggest trash-talkers in the game of basketball and can be seen to most as incredibly disrespectful. During games, he may take some cheap shots and has been fined several thousand dollars for doing so. After games, he skips press conferences and has hit the gritty on the opposing team’s logo. It seems as if he does not think before his actions, and because of this, he has become the object of much hate. Most of this hate has transferred to Dillon Brooks’ basketball skills, with many people saying that Brooks is a terrible basketball player. Despite all of this, Brooks is definitely not a bad basketball player. In fact, Dillon Brooks is one of the best in the league.

His success started at the University of Oregon, where he led the team to a couple of unprecedented seasons, and even leading it to the NCAA Final Four in 2017. Now, after being drafted by Memphis, the Grizzlies outscore other teams by a total of 220 points when Dillon Brooks is on the court, which ranks sixth-best among all players in the tough NBA Western Conference.

Right now, Brooks is believed to be a potential candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, an award that is not taken lightly. Dillon Brooks is a lock on defense. He may get scored on sometimes, but that is because he is always guarding the opposing team’s best players. In addition to this, his defensive plus-minus ranks in the 95th percentile of all NBA players. The old saying goes that “defense wins championships,” and Dillon Brooks is one of the best defenders in the league.

Most of Dillon Brooks’ skill comes on the defensive end of the floor, but he is still an offensive threat. His size, skill, and versatility allow him to contribute to his team on the offensive end. He also has a very high IQ and passing ability. Over his NBA career, Brooks is averaging 15.9 points per game, which is a very impressive mark.

So yes, Dillon Brooks may not be the nicest guy or the most respectful person, but there is more to him. Just because of his trash-talking and off-the-court tendencies, that does not mean that he is not a good basketball player. After all, he would not be making millions of dollars every single year if he was not.