The Houston Rockets made a ton of moves this NBA offseason, one of which was signing former Memphis Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks to a four-year, $80 million contract. Brooks has always been a very outspoken player and after his recent struggles in the playoffs for the Grizzlies, the Rockets received a lot of criticism for this addition.

Given his defensive abilities and the intensity he plays with, Houston is hopeful that Brooks will be able to provide them with stability and a sense of grit that they've been missing on the defensive side of the floor.

Preparing for his seventh NBA season, the 27-year-old spent the last month playing with Team Canada at the FIBA World Cup. There, Brooks proved that he is still an impactful talent, as he helped Canada claim the bronze medal and a trip to the 2024 Olympic Games in France. He even scored 39 points against Team USA in this bronze medal game!

Rockets general manager Rafael Stone recently spoke to the media and acknowledged the success Brooks found playing overseas while also explaining the impact he will bring to the team during the 2023-24 season.

“I'm really happy for Dillon. Largely, that's the player we thought we were signing so it's not at all surprising,” Stone said referring to Brooks' performances over the last few weeks, via Chancellor Johnson from KPRC 2 Houston. “It's great and more so than any player I can remember in recent memory, there's a narrative about him that's odd and wrong. I think the whole world has kind of owned that he's a really good basketball player.”

During the 2022-23 season, Brooks averaged 14.3 points per game while shooting 39.6 percent from the floor and 32.6 percent from three-point range. In the postseason, he shot just 31.2 percent from the floor as a whole. With Team Canada, Brooks was able to represent his country on the world's biggest stage and he seemed to regain some of his lost confidence.

The Rockets finished 22-60 last season and they are immediately looking to change their recent misfortunates. Brooks is a big addition for them and Houston believes he will continue to prove his worth as soon as the new year begins.

“What goes around, comes around, and I think people are going to realize he's a really good player,” Stone continued. “Most importantly, he just competes his butt off and obviously we really like him. He played like we expected him to and we are excited to get him back and get him integrated.”

Along with veteran point guard Fred VanVleet, who also joined the team in free agency, Brooks will be one of the older leaders of a young, high-potential Rockets squad. Maybe he will not be the team's best scoring weapon, but the team is hopeful that Brooks will continue to be a “3-and-D” player who contributes to winning as well as any other player around the NBA.