Can Brooks spark Grizzlies on offense?
The player who took the most unlikely route to the Memphis Grizzlies rotation this year, including a detour through China, caught the ball on the wing in transition Friday night at FedExForum, launched another 3-pointer and slid to the court as it swished through the net.
Guard MarShon Brooks reacted to this latest flash of offensive wizardry by flashing three fingers and a knowing grin before heading back down court.
Because this is who he is, this is who he’s always been, and this is who the Grizzlies need him to be this season — a “professional bucket getter,” as the team’s official Twitter account referred to him.
In the midst of a performance in which Brooks didn’t miss a shot, the Grizzlies eclipsed the 100-
point mark before the fourth quarter of the team’s preseason home opener was two minutes old.
And on an evening when the final score (Memphis Grizzlies 120, Atlanta Hawks 110) was meaningless, sequences like this one felt meaningful.
"There’s not too many guys who are more natural scorers than he is," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Brooks. "However you want it, he can give it to you."
This is an important point for a team that struggled so much to put up points a year ago.
The Grizzlies’ re-emphasis on the defense-first philosophy that worked so well during their seven-straight playoff appearances appears to be a sound strategy given the franchise’s current personnel, and the realities of today’s NBA.
But they’re still going to have to score, and it can’t just come from Mike Conley and Marc Gasol.
So while it was fun to watch Gasol notch 21 points in 24 minutes and reassuring to see Conley weave his way through traffic for 11 points in his first game back at FedExForum after that foot injury, the more notable offensive contributions were from the rest of the revamped roster.
It’s why forward Chandler Parsons’ second-straight double-digit scoring effort (11 points), in his second-consecutive start of the preseason, was encouraging.
It’s why JaMychal Green’s 13-point, nine-rebound performance, on 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, bodes well for him in a contract year.
It’s why the fact the Grizzlies are averaging 117.5 points after their first two exhibition games seems like a trend worth monitoring considering they ranked 29th in the NBA in scoring last season.
“As much as we’ve been harping on defense and being a better defensive team,” Conley said, “our offense has taken a step up in the process.”
The 29-year-old Brooks will be vital if this development is to extend into the regular season, and it's why he must continue to show he's more than just an end-of-season fluke.
He went almost four years between appearances in the NBA. He was a firstround draft pick in 2011 who eventually spent three seasons in China before the Grizzlies signed him last March to a 10day contract.
Brooks then proceeded to average 20.1 points in eight appearances with Memphis, who rewarded him with a two-year deal. The franchise didn't attempt to re-sign Tyreke Evans in the offseason as a result of all this.
“I can get in the paint any time I want,” Brooks said with confidence, and it’s a skill the rest of the Grizzlies’ roster mostly lacks.
So what’s the difference between these two NBA stints? According to Brooks, not much more than the faith of a coaching staff.
“I was comfortable then. I just needed some consistent minutes. J.B. believed in me,” he said. “It being snatched away from me and going to China made me appreciate everything.”
On Friday, when Brooks made his preseason debut, that comfort and gratitude translated into a scintillating show for the home fans. He had seven points in his opening three minutes off the bench, finished with 18 points over his first 13 minutes of action, went a perfect 7-for-7 from the field.
Brooks contorted his body in midair for lay-ins, knocked down 3-pointers, created for others and made Hawks rookie Kevin Huerter look like the weak link on the playground given how often he broke him down off the dribble before halftime.
Conley compared Brooks to ageless super sub Jamal Crawford, calling Brooks the sort of offensive spark every NBA team needs.
That Brooks is doing that here in Memphis now, thriving in a role that will be so crucial to the Grizzlies' success, after a roundabout journey that took him away from the NBA for nearly four years, is something Conley is still trying to wrap his head around.
“I’m confused,” he said with a smile. “I don’t know how we got him.”