NBA Summer League: Grizzlies vs. Bulls Preview

When: Friday, July 8th, 6:00 PM Central

Where: Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada

How to Watch: NBA TV

The Grizzlies open up their Las Vegas Summer League action with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls. The summer Grizzlies went 2-1 in Salt Lake City and look to carry over some of that momentum into Vegas over the next 10 days. The Bulls will be playing their first game of the summer, so expect Memphis to have an early advantage when it comes to team chemistry and comfort in the system. Here are some players, trends, and matchups to watch in today’s game.

Tracking the Wing Position Battle

The biggest question mark coming into Vegas is the Grizzlies’ wing rotation. After losing Dillon Brooks in free agency, they have to find someone to take over his starting role. A lot of people still want the Grizzlies to sign another wing, but it seems like the front office is going to rely on their development. 

The second year guys in David Roddy, Jake Laravia, and SLC summer surprise Vince Williams Jr. have all made their case for minutes so far along with rookie GG Jackson. The biggest thing to watch in the first game and likely for the entirety of the summer action is how these guys continue to develop into NBA role players. We will also see if they can all have good performances in the same game for the first time this summer.

The Kenneth Lofton Jr. Experience 

Kenneth Lofton Jr. is coming off his G-league Rookie of the Year season and is set to prove he deserves his spot on the active roster. As the most effective paint scorer on the summer league roster, Lofton has been dominant on the interior and has sparked the offense in crucial moments so far.

There has been a lot of debate about Lofton’s role in the regular season, and this summer he can continue to prove he is a rotational NBA player. Even if it only 10 minutes a game, he definitely has the ability to be a spark off the bench offensively. His defense has been a struggle, but he has also improved there. His effort and intensity on that end is something else to watch.

GG Jackson is Ahead of Schedule 

When the Grizzlies picked the youngest player in the draft, many people saw Jackson as a long-term project. However, he has shown that while he has a long way to go, he’s not as raw as many people thought. So far he has been more efficient than his year in South Carolina and has proven to be a legit three level scorer. Jackson will most likely be on a two way regardless of how well he plays, but he’s showing that his game is more polished than originally advertised.

Can the Three Point Shooting Continue?

The Grizzlies made an NBA summer league record 17 three pointers in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they made 16 against the 76ers the game before that. It’s clear that the three ball will be important for the entirety of their summer run. With players like Williams, LaRavia, and Roddy auditioning to be the three and D player the Grizzlies need, expect a lot more shots from beyond the arc on Saturday.

Summer league is mostly about development, and the Grizzlies have a lot of young talent to display. Win or lose, the most important thing is visible improvement from their potential rotation players. However, if they continue their strong play from Salt Lake City, the wins should follow, as well.