Naji Marshall names Dillon Brooks among select few ‘real dogs' of NBA
Naji Marshall names Dillon Brooks among select few 'real dogs' of NBA 'Dillon Brooks is a dog,' Dallas forward Naji Marshall says of his veteran counterpart in Houston. 'I give it to him. There are a lot of fake dogs.'
In a newly released podcast episode of The Young Man and the Three, Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall singled out Houston Rockets counterpart Dillon Brooks as being among a select few 'real dogs' in the current NBA.
Known for strong defense, Marshall said there are a lot of 'fake dogs' in the league, at least for the moment. However, he did note a few outliers.
When asked about 'real dogs' that are worthy of a hat tip, Marshall replied (9:10):
I go Jimmy Butler, Giannis (Antetokounmpo). I get Dre, Draymond Green. James Johnson... James Johnson's different. Like, it's a different animal. Not even going to say a dog. He's the hunted man versus the gorilla. That's James. He's the gorilla.
There's two more. Dillon Brooks is a dog. I give it to him. And me.
Beyond his strong defense, Brooks also connected on a career-best 39.2% of his 3-point attempts in the 2024-25 season — and he did so on career-high volume (6.3 attempts per game), as well.
Best of all, those numbers had a strong link to winning, as Brooks played in 75 of 82 games (all starts) for a Houston squad that finished with the second-best record in the Western Conference (52-30).
Marshall was then asked about smaller players in the league, such as New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado.
'I can't forget about Jose,' Marshall replied. 'Jose is a dog. Jose's one, for sure.'
The complete episode can be listened to below. The conversation features extended back-and-forth analysis between Marshall and Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, who Marshall previously played alongside and remains close friends with.
Marshall knows a thing or two about hard work, having built a solid NBA career in the aftermath of going undrafted in 2020. In his recently completed fifth season, Marshall averaged a career-best 13.2 points (50.8% FG), 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steals. He played in 69 games for the Mavericks and started 31 times, which led to a career-high 27.8 minutes per game.
More: 'Sometimes you, sometimes me, and always us': Dillon Brooks on Houston's mindset
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talks about his admiration for Kobe Bryant
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talks about his admiration for Kobe Bryant Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder was named the NBA MVP for this season recently, and he led the league in scoring with an average of 32.7 points a game during the regular season. He has continued his outstanding play during the playoffs, and he's now playing for his first world championship. His Thunder trail the Indiana Pacers 1-0 in the NBA Finals after blowing a double-digit fourth-quarter lead in Game 1. But he still produced 38 points in Game 1 to help his team's cause. Like plenty of players in recent years, Gilgeous-Alexander looks up to late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. He told the media that Bryant is probably his favorite player ever, and that he hopes to approach Bryant's level of greatness. "That's probably my favorite player of all time," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I never got the chance to meet him… but not only me, for kids all across the world, his influence has gone through the roof and his legacy will be remembered forever because of the competitor and the basketball player that he was. Hopefully I'm somewhere close to that as a basketball player one day. But he was a special talent, special person, and God rest his soul." Bryant, of course, drove the Lakers to five NBA championships and won two finals MVPs during his 20-year career. He is considered arguably the greatest closer in league history, and he produced numerous memorable moments in crunch time, especially in big games. Oklahoma City will need a few memorable moments like that from Gilgeous-Alexander if it is to bring home its first championship since 1979 when the franchise was known as the Seattle SuperSonics.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Grizzlies' Zach Edey reinjures left ankle, will have surgery and miss start of 2025-26 season
Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey reportedly will miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season because of surgery to repair a left ankle he reinjured during an offseason training session. On Saturday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported the injury and noted the All-Rookie big will undergo surgery to restabilize the ankle. Advertisement The Purdue product has a history of ankle injuries with the first one coming in November 2024. The issues came back in March and then again in April. In his debut season with the Grizzlies, Edey averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. The 23-year-old shot 58% from the field and started in 55 of his 66 appearances. Edey played four seasons at Purdue and averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.2 blocks during his senior campaign. The Grizzlies selected Edey with the ninth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after he led Purdue to the NCAA tournament title game, losing to UConn. Memphis finished with the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record. After beating the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in tournament, the Grizzlies were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Spurs Enouraged Not to Trade for Giannis
Spurs Enouraged Not to Trade for Giannis originally appeared on Athlon Sports. If the San Antonio Spurs trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they will likely be title favorites. Even with giving up the second overall pick, a core of Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and De'Aaron Fox seems impossible to beat. Advertisement However, adding the Greek Freak comes at a cost. He is still very much in his prime, but questions will emerge about how much longer he can produce at that level. By giving up the second pick, as well as plenty of quality young players, in a trade for Giannis, the Spurs would severely limit their future flexibility. "One of the concerns people in San Antonio told me about is, you go and deal for a guy like Giannis, all of a sudden you've created a championship window, but it is a window with a closing date," said Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. "You've got De'Aaron Fox, who's in his late 20s, Giannis in his early 30s, and the last thing they want is to have a roster after those guys kind of age out where when Wembanyama is maybe looking around going, 'All right, where are the young guys I'm going to play with after that?'" Even though Giannis is a better player than Wembanyama right now, the Spurs would still firmly be Wemby's team, and their timeline would be built around the younger star. Even in the most lopsided deal in San Antonio's favor, the Spurs still have to give up the second pick, Harrison Barnes, and Devin Vassell, severely limiting their shooting prowess. Advertisement For Giannis, it would surely be worth it, but the Spurs are focused on the next 15 years, not the next three. "It certainly is a problem for another day, but that's on the mind of the San Antonio Spurs," Mannix continued. "That's why they want to hold on to Stephon Castle, so he can be that second guy opposite Wembanyama for a long time, assuming they trade that No. 2 pick." Cheaper trade candidates like Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Durant, and even Jaylen Brown have all been floated as possible targets, although the Spurs holding the line and building through the draft seems like the most realistic outcome. Check out the Inside the Spurs home page for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Advertisement Related: Jeremy Sochan Gets Brutally Honest About Role With San Antonio Spurs Related: Adam Silver's All-Star Announcement Should Please Victor Wembanyama This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
