MarShon Brooks was a star for the Providence Friars from 2007-11. And when his NBA career began with the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets in 2011, he continued his hot streak. Brooks made the NBA’s 2012 All-Rookie Second Team.
Brooks was a part of the iconic 2013 Nets/Celtics trade centered on Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. After the trade, he never really found a rhythm with the Celtics. He spent some time in the D League (now G League), bounced around the NBA, and in 2014 decided to take his talents to the international circuit. Now, however, Brooks is back.
Yahoo!’s Shams Charania reports the former first-round pick (No. 25 overall) will sign a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Guard MarShon Brooks plans to sign a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, league sources tell Yahoo Sports. Brooks, a former first-round pick, has starred in China for past three seasons with Jiangsu.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 27, 2018
There is no reason for the lowly Grizzlies to avoid taking risks right now, and acquiring Brooks is a calculated gamble. As Charania noted, Brooks has starred in the Chinese Basketball Association since the fall of 2015. The CBA is nothing to sneeze at — it’s a highly competitive league.
Brooks’ rookie campaign was his best in the NBA. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 29.4 minutes, 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, in addition to 0.9 steals. Those were all career-bests.
In his most recent NBA season, 2013-14, he played for the Celtics, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Lakers. He played 18 games for the Lakeshow and averaged 6.4 points per game. He shot the ball exceptionally well, knocking down 58 percent of his three-point attempts.
Brooks was one of 20 finalists for the 2011 John Wooden Award. In Feb. 2011, he exploded for 52 points against Notre Dame. The New Jersey native was a third-team AP All-American and is ninth on Providence’s all-time scoring list.
