Houston Rockets LISTEN: Dillon Brooks Ejection - Good or Bad?

On the latest episode of the "Kiss of Death Podcast," Michael Brown and Jeremy Brener talk about Dillon Brooks' preseason ejection and what it could mean for the Houston Rockets.
In this story:

Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks picked up right where he left off as he tries to live up to his "villain" persona.

Not even five minutes into the Rockets' preseason win against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night, Brooks picked up a Flagrant 2 foul after hitting Daniel Theis in the groin while fighting off a screen.

Brooks' debut came to a premature end, but is the move good or bad for the Rockets?

Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) warms up before the game against the Indiana Pacers at Toyota Center.
Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) warms up before the game against the Indiana Pacers at Toyota Center / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

“What’s my name? The name is ‘Dillon the Villain,’” Brooks said after the game. “I might have tapped him below the waist. But he got right back up. I don’t know. It’s weird that every time it happens to me, I get picked on. I guess it’s part of reputation.”

On the latest episode of the "Kiss of Death Podcast," Michael Brown and I discuss the move and whether it's good for the long run.

"I like it from the perspective of you're not gonna set a hard screen on him," Brown said. "You're setting the tone for how the season is gonna go ... I like the feistiness."

While it's only a preseason game, Brooks' move is arguably the most physical any Rockets player has been since they were once contenders and the move could set the tone for the type of team Houston is trying to be this year. 

However, if this happened in a game with a little more weight and the Rockets lost out on having him on the floor in a tight game that Houston was to lose, those laughs could soon turn into groans.


Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager who has been with On SI since 2021. 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.