How Dillon Brooks Helped Change the Rockets' Culture

Dillon Brooks is one of the more misunderstood players in the NBA. So much so that Houston Rockets fans were confused when it was announced that the team was pursuing him (and eventually signed him to a four-year deal worth $86 million).

After all, Brooks had just wrapped up a six year stint with the Memphis Grizzlies and they couldn't wait to get rid of him.

In fact, they stated that they would not be bringing him back under any circumstances. Brooks joined a very young Rockets team with talented but raw prospects who didn't quite know how to play in the NBA.

Which was the perfect situation for Brooks, as we now know, with the benefit of hindsight.

Brooks approached the game the right way, by putting in hard work in practice, which always shows off in the games. 

Inside of the playing lines, he can sometimes go over the edge, but it's all about setting the standard and expectations for opponents that he won't be backing down.

Which is important. 

The younger Rockets took notice and morphed into a pesky, fiery group that wasn't afraid of getting a technical foul or a flagrant foul, for the right reasons.

Rockets analyst Ryan Hollins explained to NBA writer Landon Buford exactly how Brooks changed the culture in Houston. 

“At the beginning of the season, his intensity was so exceptional that his teammates had to catch up,” Hollins said. “Once they did, that’s when the Rockets turned a corner. Dillon set the tone. He raised the standard. And the rest of the team followed.”

Brooks definitely got into spars with opponents during his time in Houston. LeBron James was a notable one, although that extended prior to Brooks signing in Houston.

One of the most notable (and recent) examples is Jimmy Butler of the Golden State Warriors, prompting Butler to admit to disliking Brooks even during the postseason series.

DeMar DeRozan was another example, as Brooks went to bat for his teammate, Jalen Green, who had just been given a hard foul from DeRozan.

Brooks walked him down from across the court to let DeRozan know that he had an issue with the hard foul.

Again, he's certainly a culture setter, in the right environment. The Phoenix Suns could be another perfect fit for Brooks, as they're entering a soft rebuild, after shipping off Kevin Durant to the Rockets and parting with Bradley Beal.