Memphis Grizzlies third-year forward Dillon Brooks is becoming outspoken these days. Last month, he took nice, subtle jabs on “former” teammate and respected veteran Andre Iguodala for refusing to play for the Grizzlies. Now, he’s basically claiming the young, rugged, and up-and-coming Grizz are one of the most dangerous playoff teams this season.

I thought Canadians are always nice and humble? Sorry, I digress.

Here’s what he told HoopsHype in a recent interview:

“I feel like teams don’t want to see us. We’re like that wildcard team. We feel like we’re underdogs this year. We’re playing free and we’re playing fast. We’re playing defense and we want to learn this stuff organically. We’ve got guys that work the same way as me. Our young guys work the same way. They want to feed off that.”

Dillon Brooks

Of course, if you follow the league, two things jump out when you hear such claims: 1) They are only 32-32 on the season and 2) What the hell is he talking about? They haven’t even clinched a playoff spot.

That said, you have to give him some props for his confidence, which is something you can’t lack if you’re in the big leagues. Also, what do you want him to say? He can’t say he’s looking forward to getting swept in the first round.

Does he have a point? More importantly, does he have room talk?

The Grizzlies do have a win against the top teams in the Western Conference, and each victory has its own interesting tidbit on defense… and Dillon Brooks.

November 16th – After starting the game slow, they held the Utah Jazz to a 14-for-39 shooting (35.8%) in the second half to eke out a 107-106 win. Brooks scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter.

January 5th – They stomped the LA Clippers at Staples Center, 140-114. It was the Clipps’ second-worst home loss this season. Brooks had 22 points and his six threes almost outgun the entire Clippers team, who collectively had seven.

January 15th – They ran past the Houston Rockets, 121-101, and had James Harden shooting just 13-for-37 (35.1%). Brooks goes for 24 points and again blasts six threes, one of which was a dagger that helped seal the deal.

January 29th – They cruised into a 104-96 win over the Denver Nuggets thanks to a hot first half and a frustrating defense that held Denver to a 37.2% shooting night (0.6% shy of a season-low). Brooks tallies a team-high 24 points on 11-for-19 shooting.

March 1st – They smothered the West-leading Los Angeles Lakers, 105-88, by limiting them to their lowest output of the season while also halting their seven-game winning streak. Brooks was one of three Grizzlies to score 20-plus points.

So yes, although he’s behind Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson (and arguably Jonas Valanciunas) in the Grizzlies’ pecking order, he does have room talk.

After a toe injury shortened his 2018-19 season to just 18 games, Brooks returned to full form this year broke out by averaging 15.6 points per game. His 21 20-point games this season is also second-most in the team, behind Morant.

The Lakers are the likely first-round match-up for the Grizzlies, and while their chances are slim at best, they can make waves that may carry on for the seasons to come.

There is still no guarantee that the Grizzlies will make the the playoffs yet, though. They’re embroiled in a really tough six-team race for the eighth seed, and today’s loss to the Orlando Magic has given their rivals an important opportunity to catch up.