Report Card: Jake LaRavia guides the Grizzlies through Thunder

The Grizzlies continued their summer league journey in Salt Lake City with a matchup against the Thunder, a team with last year’s second-overall pick, Chet Holmgren. Kenneth Lofton Jr. had a tremendous battle with Chet last summer, and the rematch certainly did not disappoint.

Jake LaRavia started the game on a tear, scoring 16 points in the first quarter and helping the Grizzlies get out to a 16-point lead early on. However, the Thunder would make a run behind the offense of Tre Mann, as they were able to cut the lead to just two heading into the half.

From that point forward, it was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams going on big runs in the third. Threes from LaRavia, Lofton, and Jacob Gilyard early in the fourth quarter extended the Grizzlies’ lead back to double-digits, as they ultimately secured a 94-86 win.

Jake LaRavia- A+: 25 points, 9-18 FG (4-9 3-PT), 3 rebounds, 2 steals

Desmond Bane said that LaRavia would be the Grizzly to take a big step forward, and in this game, he showed exactly why. After a tough shooting night in the Grizzlies’ first summer league game on Monday, you could tell he wanted to make a statement early. His 16-point first half did just that, as he had scored nearly as much as the entire Thunder team when he checked out at the 2:30 mark.

He struggled a bit after his strong start but continued to make hustle plays on the defensive end, including two steals. Late in the game, Laravia made timely shots from inside the arc, including a nice move on the baseline that put the Grizzlies up 12. All in all, it was a fantastic game for LaRavia, as he showed his true potential in the league.

Vince Williams Jr. – A+: 18 points, 5-10 FG (3-7 3-PT), 9 rebounds 

Through two games, the most impressive player of the summer league for Memphis has been Vince Williams Jr. After a strong outing in game one, Williams backed it up with another big scoring night, including knocking down three triples. He was also very active on the boards, made hustle plays on defense, and overall looked even more comfortable getting to his spots for open threes. On top of all that, he also showed off his athleticism and rim protection potential on this chase-down block.

People have compared his role on the Grizzlies to a taller De’Anthony Melton, and through the first two games, he’s been as advertised. If he continues to play this well, he could find himself contributing in the regular season down the line.

David Roddy – C-: 8 points, 2-12 FG, 5 assists, 4 rebounds

It simply wasn’t David Roddy’s night when it came to shooting the ball. After a great game one where it felt like Roddy couldn’t miss, he came back to earth with a 2-12 performance. It wasn’t that the shots he took were bad, outside of one fadeaway late in the game. They just didn’t go down.

However, he still impacted the game in other ways, especially with his playmaking and defense. Even when he shoots poorly, Roddy contributes to winning in other ways, which makes him a great candidate to get more minutes next season.

Jacob Gilyard: A – 10 points, 7 steals, 6 assists, 4 rebounds

It was an incredible night for Gilyard, who broke the SLC summer league record for steals in a game (seven). His IQ on defense was on full display as he played passing lanes perfectly and also did a great job of anticipating his opponent’s next move. He also did a great job of turning these steals into easy fast break opportunities for his teammates.

Three-point shooting- A+

The young Grizzlies set a new record for three-pointers made in the SLC summer league when they went 17-38 from behind the arc on Wednesday. Six different Grizzlies made two or more three-pointers, including LaRavia, who led the way with four. The shooting was one of the most significant issues for the Grizzlies in the postseason, so seeing the young guys shoot this well should give the front office a lot of confidence going forward.

Overall Grade: A

Summer league in itself is inconsistent, and the Grizzlies offense was a lot of that on Wednesday. After a blistering start, they went through a stretch where they could not get anything to fall. However, when the game was on the line, it was the second-year players from Memphis who stood out. LaRavia, Lofton, Williams, and Roddy all made big plays in the fourth quarter as they continue to audition for minutes next season. Most importantly, all of them look to have taken steps forward since this time last year. With a lot of questions on the main roster, it seems that a few of the answers could be cemented over the next few weeks.