More than anyone else in the league, MarShon Brooks wished the offseason was only a couple days long so he could keep riding the hot streak he was on to end last year. He only played 7 games, so he was fresh despite averaging 20 during that time. He was the hottest player in the league, and I say that with hardly any exaggeration. He was legit.
The months that constitute the dark time of no basketball have taken their toll on him. He’s not hot anymore. His “Mar$wag” nickname should now be changed to “MarS***”. That may be harsh, but I was expecting more 20-burgers to start the season and I haven’t been receiving any 20-burgers at all.
Part of the problem is that Grizzlies still have illusions/delusions of being a good team, and Brooks is simply not a player that is conducive to much winning. He has theoretical value as a 6th-man chucker off the bench, but even that limited role is becoming less common in the NBA landscape. It’s great having him back in the league, because there aren’t enough mini-Kobe’s out there, but I wonder if maybe he wasn’t having a better time in China. There’s a reason Jimmer Fredette is still over there, and it’s not because of the food. They don’t even have General Tso’s chicken in China, so I’m told.