Former Grizzlies guards take shots at organization

And now there's Dillon Brooks, who was with Memphis from 2017 to 2023, a sometimes tumultuous but largely successful tenure before he landed in Houston. Brooks is now with the Phoenix Suns, and has been a catalyst for their surprisingly strong start.

After a 32-point performance for Phoenix, Brooks said the last time he wasn't confident was when Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman told him to "only shoot six shots" in a playoff series against the Lakers, a playoff series that was marked by the tension between Brooks and LeBron James. Brooks, many may remember, did not perform especially well in that series, which played a role in his exit.

Brooks argued that this "didn't give me the confidence I needed." One could also argue that his shooting in that series didn't make Memphis feel confident. He took 12 shots per game, double the six, and make just 31 percent overall, including 24 percent from deep. He agitated James throughout the series, but it badly backfired.

So perhaps there's some revisionist history from Smart and Brooks. But all this does is increase the intensity on social media and elsewhere as the current Grizzlies squad struggles, and they try to set a course for a brighter future. The Grizzlies are in Cleveland on Saturday, trying to avoid a 4-10 start, with Morant's status still in doubt after he sat out the blowout loss in Boston.

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