Rockets' Dillon Brooks Continues to Defy Odds

Dillon Brooks has smashed his pre-draft expectations for the Houston Rockets.

Feb 26, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) smiles before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are fortunate to have Dillon Brooks on their team.

Brooks, a second-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Oregon, has proven scouts and evaluators wrong every year he has been in the league.

Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley re-drafted Brooks' class and placed him at No. 14, 31 spots higher than where he was originally selected.

"Brooks is your classic agitator, and that's meant in mostly complementary fashion. Sure, his mouth sometimes writes checks that his game can't cash, but his physicality and tenacity on the defensive end are true assets," Buckley writes.

"Things get a little stickier when adding offense to the equation. He is a huge believer in his shooting, and while you want shooters to be confident, his confidence is such that it can torpedo his shot selection and plague his conversion rates. It's worth noting he's having a career campaign from three (2.4 per night on 38.8 percent shooting), but he is quicker to fire than you'd expect from a career 41.7 percent shooter from the field.

"Calling him a one-way player takes the criticism too far, but catch him on a clang-filled night, and you'll swear the label applies."

Brooks and the Rockets are back in action tomorrow as they take on the New Orleans Pelicans at 7 p.m. CT.

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.