Dillon Brooks is one of the most underrated two-way wings in the league

Jonas Valanciunas was definitely the MVP for the Grizzlies in this win against the Spurs, as he recorded 23 points, 23 rebounds and 3 blocks, but Dillon Brooks was fantastic and the “unsung” hero of the game for the Grizzlies. 

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Not only did he finish as the game’s leading scorer with 24 points, but Brooks did a fantastic job defending DeMar DeRozan and rotating onto numerous guys on the drive. He held DeMar DeRozan to 5-21 shooting, one of his worst shooting performances over the last several weeks and down the stretch run of the game, Brooks had the ball in his hands and made every single play offensively. 

With nearly 7-minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Dillon Brooks went on a 8-3 run by himself and single-handedly kept the Grizzlies alive when nothing was clicking for them offensively. He not only put his head down and drove to the basket, but Brooks sprinted back on defense and took care of his assignment of guarding DeRozan and forcing the ball out of his hands. 

Marcus Smart is one of the premier perimeter defending guards in this league, but Dillon Brooks is quickly starting to look just like Smart when he is defending out on the perimeter. If he can continue to have performances like he did against DeRozan and the Spurs, not only is he going to help the Grizzlies win games, but Brooks is going to begin to evolve into one of the best defenders in the league.