NBA Summer League: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview

Well, they say all good things must come to an end, and the sun is coming close to setting on the Memphis Grizzlies’ time in Las Vegas this summer.

With a 1-2 record, the Grizzlies are all but eliminated from competing for the NBA2K24 Summer League championship and are essentially just playing out the remainder of their schedule before they fly back home. They’ll kick off the second-to-last of their two remaining games against a team the Grizzlies know all too well for the wrong reasons, the Los Angeles Lakers. While this won’t count for anything for the Grizzlies, they have an opportunity to perhaps spoil the Lakers’ summer league squad’s postseason hopes with a victory, as the Lakers sit at 2-1 and are firmly in the summer playoff hunt.

When: Friday, July 14, 8:00 PM Central

Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

How to Watch/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+

What to Watch For

Can Jake “The Snake” LaRavia Keep it Going?

It’s been an up-and-down summer league for Jake LaRavia thus far, but the ups have been promising. At first glance, the numbers may not impress you all that much (17.7 points per game on 33% from the field and 30% from three-point range with 2.7 assists and 4 rebounds), but Jake has played at a level at which the box scores do not really do him justice. He has looked much sharper and quicker on both ends on the floor, making snap decisions and showing a newfound burst of aggressiveness that was not really present much of his rookie year. This is especially true on the defensive end, where his effort and hustle over the past few summer league games have led to highlight defensive plays that allowed the Grizzlies to push the pace in transition.

On offense, while Jake is still struggling to find consistency from three-point land, his bread and butter as an NBA prospect, he looks much quicker getting his shots off and has become more of a movement shooter and on-ball creator from the perimeter. Inside the arc, he is leveraging his athleticism to become more of an offensive weapon around the rim, and it’s led to some showtime missed dunk attempts (at this point, he has to lead all of the summer league in these).

It’s clear LaRavia still has a bit to learn in the NBA game, but the growth in his feel for the game has been exciting to watch and could earn him some rotation minutes next season. 

Can G.G. Jackson Get Back?

After some very propitious showings in Salt Lake City, G.G. Jackson has been looking like exactly who he is in Las Vegas, the youngest player in his draft class. Averaging 7 points on 26% shooting from the field and 23% from three-point range, Jackson is clearly struggling with the flow of the NBA game. He has been chucking up low-percentage shots early in the shot clock as opposed to attacking closeouts, missing key defensive rotations and positions, and not making as many timely cuts as he should be with his 6”9′, 210-pound frame.

From the start, it was clear this was going to be a development season for the wing out of South Carolina, and his time in Las Vegas is showing that. Jackson’s all-around game will benefit tremendously from time with the Memphis Hustle this season, but he still has two more games to build upon what has been a summer to forget in Vegas and rouse Grizzlies fans with his boundless potential. 

Can the Bench come up Big?

Throughout the Grizzlies’ time in Las Vegas, it has mainly been the Jake LaRavia, Kenneth Lofton Jr, and David Roddy show when it comes to production. There have not been many stellar offensive performances from the role players and bench players aside from a few double-digit outings from Jacob Gilyard and Nathan Hoover. The Grizzlies need to get more from their 6-11 guys on the floor in order to properly compete with their opponents for the remainder of Summer League. Given that they are already out of the playoff race, the Grizzlies could move to shed minutes from the main three players in favor of giving more minutes to the rest of the rotation. Let’s see if someone can surprise us.

Prediction: Grizzlies – 93, L.A. Lakers – 90

It will be a tough battle, but someone new will emerge and help bring the Beale Street Bears to victory Friday night. G.G. Jackson should be in for a bounce-back night. Keep an eye on the 6-11 guys.