Memphis Grizzlies enforcer Dillon Brooks isn’t typically one that holds back when speaking about the NBA’s elder statesmen, and he seemingly has nothing but respect for Miami Heat veteran leader Udonis Haslem.
Brooks has been in the news a lot lately thanks to his ongoing beef with Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green. Even more recently, Brooks made it clear that he does not feel as though the Grizzlies need to add a veteran heading into the upcoming playoffs.
He downplayed the value of potentially adding players like Carmelo Anthony or Dwight Howard. However, he made it clear that he feels Haslem adds a lot to Miami.
Dillon Brooks says the Grizzlies locker room doesn’t need vets like Carmelo Anthony or Dwight Howard
“Those guys are trying get back into the league. They're not trying to hone in on a guy and be a vet. A real vet is like Udonis Haslem.” pic.twitter.com/aSUsZV97gK
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 10, 2023
As Heat fans know quite well, Haslem doesn’t contribute much to Miami on the court. In fact, he’s played in just six games so far this season. However, he is seen as a big contributor when it comes to promoting and maintaining the team’s culture.
The Heat will have to find a new source of leadership following the 2022-23 campaign, as Haslem has already made it clear that the current NBA season will be his last. Unless the Heat shock the world this season and win an NBA title, Haslem will finish his career as a three-time NBA champ.
He recently stated that the struggles the Heat have faced so far this season have caused him to lose sleep at night. At the moment, Miami seems locked in at the No. 7 seed. They are 1.5 games back from the Brooklyn Nets and 1.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Hawks.
Finishing the season as the No. 7 seed would force the Heat to compete in the play-in tournament in order to advance into the playoff bracket.
As for Brooks and the Grizzlies, they’re well on their way to advancing to the playoffs in the West. That is true despite the uncertainty surrounding star guard Ja Morant. Morant has missed the team’s last three games, and the team is 1-2 in those contests.
Morant is currently sitting out due to a number of disturbing off-court incidents.
The Grizzlies got a much-needed victory over the defending champion Warriors on Thursday, blowing out the Bay Area franchise in a 131-110 thumping. Brooks finished that game with 14 points, six assists, four rebounds, one block and one steal.
Interestingly, the Heat and Grizzlies will get a chance to meet for their second and final time this season next week. The Heat will host the Grizzlies this upcoming Wednesday. It’ll be interesting to see if Brooks makes a point to show his respect to Haslem in what could very well be the final game that the two ballers face off in.
