MY ACCOUNT
Dillon Brooks has again criticised Andre Iguodala for not having “the vision” to see what this Memphis Grizzlies team would become.
Iguodala and the Golden State Warriors lost 123-95 in Memphis on Monday, falling five games behind the second-placed Grizzlies in the Western Conference.
For Iguodala, it was a fourth game against the Grizzlies and second return to Memphis since he was traded to the team by the Warriors in 2019.
The former NBA Finals MVP chose not to play for the Grizzlies in a 2019-20 season in which they finished with a 34-39 record and eventually secured a trade to the Miami Heat before heading back to the Bay Area in 2021.
Iguodala’s wish to sit on the sideline while a young Grizzlies team battled in the NBA was criticised by guard Brooks, then in his third season.
“I can’t wait until we find a way to trade him, so we can play him and show him really what Memphis is about,” Brooks said in comments shared on social media by Ja Morant, prompting a back-and-forth with Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.
Neither Morant nor Curry played on Monday due to injury, but Iguodala moved to 0-4 against the Grizzlies since leaving the team.
“[The team] has developed a lot [since then],” said Brooks, who scored 21 points on nine-of-15 shooting.
“We all had the vision and he didn’t, which is perfect. Send him back to the Warriors and let him do his thing over there.
“From the beginning, we were growing a base, we had a base, then we just kept building and building and building, and more guys got on the train.
“We were able to create something like this and keep building this dynasty.”
The Grizzlies are now a sensational 18-2 without Morant this year, but the Warriors are just 3-9 without Curry.
After the game, in which Golden State coach Steve Kerr was ejected, Iguodala said: “What we can’t do is play the blame game when things don’t turn out the way they should.
“We had such a great start, things were panning out, and injuries in professional sports you get bit by and you just keep moving forward.
“We’ve got a group of guys where I think we can get it done. Hopefully we can get healthy, but one thing we have to do is realise that we have to be smart about how we start to implement guys.
“Steph’s out and you can’t replace that – he’s one of the top players ever. We don’t want to rush him back or put too much pressure on him, that’s how you get another injury.
“That’s kind of what happened to me all year, trying to rush back, so we’ve got to try to be smart about it, try to hold down the fort.
“Interestingly enough, we’re going to have to use the playoffs to get better, too. That’s just the situation.”
