JJ Redick Blasts Media Over Treatment of Dillon Brooks

Dillon Brooks definitely deserves criticism for how he performed in the NBA Playoffs, but he didn't deserve the unfair report Shams Charania gave when he stated that the Grizzlies would not bring him back "under any circumstances."

The report shocked NBA fans around the world, and it was something JJ Redick especially took offense to.

The Memphis Grizzlies have informed pending free agent Dillon Brooks that he will not be brought back under any circumstances, league sources say.

Full story and details at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/CRztYTgYi7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 2, 2023

“Whoever put that language and approved that language in the tweet? Yeah, that person wants to make Dillon Brooks the scapegoat. The reality is, the Grizzlies have other problems besides Dillon Brooks,” Redick said. “Whether they choose to bring him back, or don’t choose to bring him back, whatever it may be."

Make no mistake, Dillon Brooks definitely deserves some huge blame for how the Grizzlies underperformed against the Lakers in the playoffs. He played under his regular season averages and agitated both LeBron James and the Lakers to rise up and play above their averages. If the Grizzlies organization took offense to Brooks' antics in the playoffs, then that's something they've enabled for multiple seasons and isn't the main reason why they lost - something Redick agrees with.

“I’d be willing to bet that that language didn’t come from the Grizzlies,” Redick said. “This is the problem, all right? It’s an agenda-driven media. I have a problem with it. The reality is that Dillon Brooks hurts them offensively. If you want to go in a different direction, that’s fine! That is fine. Do the antics...did that hurt them? I don’t know. I don’t know if that hurt them. There’s other problems in roster construction, guys being out, there’s other issues besides Dillon Brooks and him poking a bear."

JJ Redick on Dillon Brooks being labeled a scapegoat. pic.twitter.com/S1xXy2Hxtc
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) May 3, 2023

It remains to be seen what happens with Dillon Brooks' career after this season as he enters being an unrestricted free agent. There's one thing that does seem likely though, he won't be with the Memphis Grizzlies.