Dillon Brooks on Limited Role with Grizzlies: 'I Got Way More to My Game Than That'

Ahead of his foray into free agency, Memphis Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks expressed his belief that he wasn't used to the best of his ability during the 2022-23 NBA season.

"I don't think I lost anything on the offensive end," Brooks said, per Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "I was just there to three-and-D, shoot and play defense. I got way more to my game than that."

If Brooks is going to have a bigger role next season, it may have to come elsewhere. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Tuesday that the Grizzlies told Brooks that he "will not be brought back under any circumstances."

Aside from the 2018-19 season, when he was limited to only 18 games, Brooks was a regular starter throughout his six-year tenure in Memphis. That included this year, when he started all 73 regular-season games he played in and averaged 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.0 three-pointers made per contest. However, he shot a career-low 39.6 percent from the field, as well as 32.6 percent from beyond the arc.

As Brooks alluded to, his usage rate was only 21.8 percent, which was his lowest since the 2018-19 season. In the three seasons before 2022-23, he had a usage rate of 25.2 percent, 26.1 percent and 28.8 percent, respectively.

Brooks was fourth among the team's regular rotation players in usage this season, trailing Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. The formula largely worked during the regular season, as the Grizz went 51-31 and finished second in the Western Conference, but they were outclassed in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers.

L.A. won the series in six games, and Brooks played poorly, averaging only 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 31.2 percent from the floor.

Afterward, Brooks lamented how things went for him, saying: "I wish I could have gotten some play calls so I can find my rhythm and find some stuff like that, but it wasn't in the cards for our team."

At one point in the series, Brooks said, "I poke bears," in reference to trying to get under Lakers star LeBron James' skin.

LeBron averaged 22.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game during the series, and the Lakers won the series-clinching Game 6 by 40 points.

It's unclear whether another NBA team is willing to give Brooks the type of role he covets. Based on how things went for him and the Grizzlies during the playoffs, he likely hurt his stock heading into free agency.