In the NBA, Dillon Brooks is a villain everyone loves to hate. In FIBA, he's a villain everyone loves to watch.
When Canada was drawn in Group H of the FIBA World Cup against France, Latvia, and Lebanon, the main man to watch was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Entering the quarterfinals, Canada had another guy stepping up to the plate—Dillon Brooks.
He had a rough year with the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA, but now he has found a new role in the Canadian national team. With a breakout performance of 22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block in eliminating defending FIBA World Cup champion Spain, Brooks was dubbed "Canada's Most Valuable Villain" in a FIBA article.
"Coming off a tough year with my whole squad, it was great having a refresh with Canadian blood," Brooks told FIBA. "Guys who believe in me, who trust in me. We figured out how to win this game in a great fashion. Now we made a lot of Canadians proud and when we figure out how to win this gold it's gonna be a great welcoming."
He has learned a lot from coach Jordi Fernandez Torres during this run. "How to control my emotions, how to be a leader on the floor, try to challenge me to be the best playmaker," Brooks told reporters after practice on Wednesday.
Now Brooks, SGA, and the rest of Canada will be taking on Luka Doncic and Slovenia in the knockout quarterfinals.
"He's used to playing this game, using all the tricks in the trade," Brooks said of Doncic during practice.
His game plan was simple. It would be just like in the NBA, "Try to tire him out for four quarters." This is Canada's first quarterfinals in the FIBA World Cup, while it will be Slovenia's third.
But coach Jordi's team has an advantage, averaging 1.34 points per possession in this tournament, more than any other squad.
The game will start at 8:30 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday night. It will be aired live on One Sports and the Pilipinas Live app.
(GM)