The Houston Rockets bet big on their backcourt in free agency as they handed eye-popping deals to Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.
After ending the 2022-23 NBA season near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Rockets appear ready to take the next step and try to move into the race for the Play-In Tournament.
Both VanVleet and Brooks will bring some stability and leadership at the guard spots, as well as much-needed discipline for a young roster headlined by Jalen Green and Amen Thompson.
The Brooks deal was probably the most surprising one of the offseason as he earned a four-year deal worth up to $90 million despite his poor showing in the first round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The rugged swingman has caught flak for his trash-talking and dismal shooting, though he changed the narrative after a successful run with Canada in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
With the 2023-24 NBA campaign quickly approaching, Brooks was seen working hard in the gym via Basketball On X.
Dillon Brooks in the lab 🔥
(h/t @BasketballOnX) pic.twitter.com/3jbOSKXjCC
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 17, 2023
In the clip, Brooks can be seen working on his one-on-one game as well as his handles.
More importantly, though, he’s seen shooting numerous shots from outside and draining all of them.
For all of his on and off-court antics, Brooks is a great perimeter defender and has the ability to heat up from distance.
Under new Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, Brooks could play a much more sizable role with the team and it’ll be interesting to see if he can build off of his FIBA World Cup performance.
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