Over the past year, Dillon Brooks has gained notoriety for his antics on the court as one of the NBA’s biggest pests. That is in large part due to his defensive intensity, as the 27-year-old played his way into tough assignments on the defensive end of the court.
As a result, Brooks is often mentioned as one of the best defenders in the league, but, while playing for team Canada at the FIBA World Cup, the veteran said he believes he is the sole best defender in the league and the world right now.
“This tournament, this world, in the NBA,” Brooks said, via Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer. “I feel like I bring a different type of defense with my IQ and how physical I play and how disciplined I am on the floor.”
IMAGO Images/Susanne Hübner
Despite Brooks’s antics to end last season, which included him provoking LeBron James during the Grizzlies first round loss to the Lakers, the guard earned a four-year, $80 million deal with the Rockets in the offseason. He has also been a key piece of Canada’s team at the World Cup, which is set to play Serbia in the semifinals on Friday.
Brooks plans on bringing his defensive mindset to a young Rockets team that is looking to make a giant leap next season.
“I have my ups and downs with it. But I can teach young guys,” Brooks said. “Houston was a great offensive team. They just needed more on the defensive end, stressing priority on the defensive end.”
