Dillon Brooks Talks About Jarred Vanderbilt

May 16, 2026, 05:11
USSports

Introduction

Dillon Brooks plays for the Phoenix Suns. He spoke about Jarred Vanderbilt from the Los Angeles Lakers on a video show.

Main Body

Brooks said Vanderbilt is 'dumb.' He does not mean Vanderbilt is not smart. He means Vanderbilt does not score enough points. Vanderbilt is tall and fast, but he does not use these things to score. Coach JJ Redick does not agree. He likes Vanderbilt. He says Vanderbilt is a good player because he plays great defense. Brooks and Vanderbilt fought in a game before. They played together for the Houston Rockets. Brooks also said he does not hate LeBron James. He thinks Kobe Bryant is the best player ever.

Conclusion

Brooks thinks Vanderbilt needs more skills. The coach thinks Vanderbilt is already helpful.

Learning

⚡ The 'But' Bridge

In the text, we see a very useful pattern for A2 students: using 'but' to connect two opposite ideas. This helps you move from simple sentences to more natural English.

Pattern: [Positive/Fact] →\rightarrow but →\rightarrow [Negative/Problem]

From the story:

  • "Vanderbilt is tall and fast, but he does not use these things to score."

Why this works: It tells the listener that the second part of the sentence is a surprise or a problem.

Try these simple changes:

  • I like the Lakers, but I do not like the Suns.
  • Brooks is a good player, but he is aggressive.
  • He has skills, but he needs more practice.

Quick Vocabulary Check:

  • Smart →\rightarrow High intelligence.
  • Dumb →\rightarrow Not smart (In this story, Brooks uses it to mean 'poor at scoring').
  • Defense →\rightarrow Stopping the other team from scoring.

Vocabulary Learning

talks (v.)
to speak or communicate with someone
Example:He talks about his day with his classmates.
plays (v.)
to perform a role or sport
Example:He plays basketball at the park.
show (n.)
a program on television
Example:The new show is very popular.
said (v.)
to speak or state something
Example:She said she would come to the game.
mean (v.)
to intend or convey
Example:I mean to finish the work before dinner.
smart (adj.)
intelligent or clever
Example:She is a smart student who loves math.
score (v.)
to earn points in a game
Example:He scored two goals in the match.
tall (adj.)
having a large height
Example:He is a tall man who can reach the top shelf.
fast (adj.)
moving quickly
Example:The rabbit runs fast across the field.
coach (n.)
a person who trains athletes
Example:The coach gave us a lesson on teamwork.
agree (v.)
to have the same opinion
Example:They agree on the best strategy for the game.
player (n.)
someone who plays a sport
Example:The player scored a goal in the final minute.