Inside The Rockets

Rockets' Dillon Brooks: Starting Lineup 'Weak Link'?

Dillon Brooks signed a hefty contract with the Houston Rockets this offseason.

Jeremy Brener

In this story:

The Houston Rockets will look a little different on opening night this year compared to last with free agent acquisitions Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.

VanVleet netted free agency's richest contract for anyone going to a new team, while Brooks still made more than $20 million per year despite his sour exit with the Memphis Grizzlies.

If there had to be a "weakest link" for the starting lineup, Brooks' status as a risky offseason signing makes him the strongest candidate for that role.

"Few players combine confidence with inaccuracy quite like Brooks. And that means he'll shoot the Rockets out of a handful of games this season," Bleacher Report writes. "Of course, his defense and the four-year, $86 million contract he signed all but ensures he'll start, but any hint of development from the younger players above means he'll also be this lineup's weak link."

That isn't to say that Brooks is weak, but by looking at the other members of the lineup, it makes sense.

VanVleet is a former All-Star and the other three (Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun) are all viewed as big parts of the Rockets' future.

Brooks' role with the first unit is simple. Be a defensive menace, set the physicality tone and be an above-average 3-point shooter. If he can check all those boxes, the term "weak" won't be used to describe him during the season.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

Want the latest in news and insider information on the Houston Rockets? Click here

Follow Inside the Rockets on Facebook here

Follow Inside the Rockets on Twitter @InsideRocketsFN

Want even more Houston Rockets news? Check out the SI.com team page here

Check out the latest episodes of the Kiss of Death Podcast:

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/News