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What to Watch For in Memphis Grizzlies Summer League Play
The Memphis Grizzlies will get their first taste of on-court action in a long while in two NBA Summer League events.
By Brandon Nwokeji - June 30, 2023, 12:11 pm - 0 comments
If you’re like me, you’ve been ceaselessly itching for any Memphis Grizzlies Basketball just like your body after a relaxing daytime excursion with the mosquitos at Pickwick Lake. Well, itch no further, because the next generation of the Memphis Grizzlies will be returning to the court for the 2023 Summer League. The Grizzlies will play in two annual off-season competitions that give fans their first look at many young talents that will shape the future of the roster.
Summer League action for the Memphis Grizzlies kicks off July 3rd in Salt Lake City where the team will face off against three other teams in a series of exhibition games. This will be followed by the bigger Las Vegas Summer League from July 7-17 in which all 30 NBA teams will play a schedule of games culminating in a tournament that will crown a 2023 Las Vegas Summer League Champion.
As of the release of this article, the Grizzlies still have yet to announce an official Summer League roster. However, through Zach Kleiman’s media availability after the draft as well as other channels, fans have a pretty good idea of who will be suiting up for Memphis come July.
There are a few interesting storylines to keep track of as the Memphis Grizzlies prepare to hit the court this summer. Here are a few things I’ll be keeping my eye on:
Keeping it Going with Kenneth Lofton Jr.
Kenneth Lofton Jr saw most of his minutes this past season in the G-League on the Memphis Hustle after signing a two-way contract, but he made the most of his developmental time, averaging 20.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists on 54% shooting from the field, numbers that earned him G-League Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-Rookie honors.
After being awarded a multi-year contract in the wake of Steven Adams’ season-ending knee injury news, Lofton found his way to rotation minutes in the last few games of the regular season, where he showed plenty of flashes as a low post-scoring threat and playmaker.
With the big man out of Lousiana Tech set to take on a bigger role next year as a fully rostered player, look for Lofton to continue honing his unique skill set when the Grizzlies play in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. Undoubtedly, Lofton will be one of the best talents in Summer League and should be in line for monster games where he can dominate mismatches in the paint, dominate the glass, and pass out of double teams to find open teammates, three of his best abilities as a post technician.
Summer League play should also provide an opportunity for Lofton to work on his defensive skills as well, as this wasn’t a strength of his first season in the league. He’ll have the opportunity to act as a defensive anchor down low for most games and can practice guarding switches on pick-and-roll action and defending in drop coverage.
Delving Deeper into David Roddy
David Roddy emerged as a bright spot for the young Grizzlies in his first season in the NBA. After a slow start to the season in which he only shot 43% from the field and 29% from three, Roddy bounced back a bit after the all-star break, improving his field goal percentage to 45% and his three-point percentage to 33%. This included a coming-out game against the Dallas Mavericks in which he near singlehandedly helped the Grizzlies battle back from a double-digit deficit as a spark off the bench, scoring 24 points on 88% shooting from the field to go along with 4 rebounds and three made threes in four attempts.
There’s a lot to be excited about with Roddy, particularly because he has shown in flashes that he can score at all three levels in the NBA and handle and pass the rock as a secondary playmaker. During his collegiate career at Colorado State, Roddy frequently presented this three-level package on the floor, especially inside the arc; he was able to leverage his 255-pound frame to bully opponents down low and utilized a series of crafty dribble moves in conjunction with his strength and athleticism to either attack the basket or drain nifty midrange shots.
However, this hasn’t fully translated to the NBA – only 3.3% of David Roddy’s offense came from post-ups in his rookie season and he very rarely went to his midrange game. When you consider the Grizzlies’ well-noted struggle to score in a half-court setting, tapping into Roddy’s upside has the ability to elevate the offensive ceiling of the team moving forward. Thus, the Grizzlies should be focused on developing Roddy’s all-around game come Summer League time.
Akin to Desmond Bane and Ziaire Williams’ summer league experiences heading into their respective sophomore years, the Grizzlies should use David Roddy as the primary ball-handler and offensive facilitator for multiple sets, allowing him to get comfortable acting as an offensive initiator. Doing so will allow him to mirror the playing style that made him so successful at Colorado State and empower him to translate it to the NBA floor in his sophomore season.
The Journey of Jake LaRavia
Jake LaRavia is still a bit of an unknown quantity for the Memphis Grizzlies. Due to a loaded roster and various injuries, the 2022 first-round draft choice for Memphis did not see a lot of NBA action his first season in the league and spent most of his minutes playing for the Memphis Hustle. In the limited time he did spend on the court as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, he flashed a rather sweet shooting stroke and an ability to find open space and quickly get shots off.
In his G-League minutes, LaRavia looked a lot more relaxed and in the flow of things playing his game the way he was accustomed to. This past season for the Memphis, he averaged 18.8 points while shooting 47% from the field and 36% from three and put up seven 20+ point games, four 25+ point games, and two 30+ point games, proving that there’s still a lot of promise for the wing player out of Wake Forest.
The key for Jake LaRavia In Summer League is simply getting as many reps as possible to get better adjusted to NBA-level pace and intensity, which will open up his ability to do what he’s best at – scoring and shooting the basketball in a variety of ways. Look for the wing out of Wake Forest to build upon a successful G-League season and continue expanding his game as a shot creator and movement shooter who can score from the perimeter through a variety of actions and on and off-ball screens.
LaRavia also evinced an impressive ability to effectively move and score without the basketball at multiple points throughout his Grizzlies and Hustle tenures, so expect that to be a focus of his Summer League minutes as well, as he’ll no doubt be asked to do that whenever he gets a bigger opportunity with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Getting to Know G.G. Jackson
One of the most anticipated Grizzlies Summer League players will be the team’s newest addition Gregory “G.G.” Jackson II, a wing player out of South Carolina whom the Grizzlies drafted with the 45th pick of the second round in the 2023 NBA Draft. There’s no question, Jackson is the definition of a project player – as one of the youngest players in his draft class, he will not be turning 19 years of age until mid-December. A good bit of his game is raw and needs refinement – he was not a particularly efficient player in college with the Gamecocks and grappled with giving effort on the defensive end as well as making smart, high-IQ basketball plays.
Nevertheless, the talent can clearly be witnessed any time Jackson steps foot on the court and it’s not hard to see why he was once the consensus best collegiate prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. At 6”9, 215 pounds, his athleticism pops out in the gym and makes him a dangerous driver and finisher going downhill with a very strong first step. He has a diverse and formidable shot repertoire through which he can hit very impressive shots at all three levels. Jackson is also rather adroit at creating space for himself off the dribble with an above-average handle and dribble package.
Just speaking in terms of talent, Jackson might be one of the most promising players on the Grizzlies, and that opens up boundless possibilities for his future in Memphis.
Expected to join the Grizzlies on a two-way contract this season, G.G. Jackson will get the opportunity to participate in basketball at the highest level for the first time in his fledgling professional basketball career and get acclimated to the NBA in general. It remains to be seen just how much he’ll be featured this summer given that he’ll be playing next to quite a few senior players, but Jackson should still get plenty of chances to show off his multifaceted scoring arsenal.
Summer League play will also give Jackson plenty of practice at defending players in space and off screens, an aspect of his game he will need to greatly improve upon if he ever wishes to see consistent NBA minutes.
Calling on a New Assistant Coach
This will be the first Grizzlies Summer League in two seasons without former assistant coach Darko Rajaković, who was hired by the Toronto Raptors this offseason to lead their organization. With Rajaković’s departure, the Grizzlies have hired Patrick St. Andrews as an assistant coach; St. Andrews comes from the Milwaukee Bucks’ coaching bench, where he helped coordinate their championship-winning offense during the 2020-21 season. Rajaković was a key element in the development of the young Memphis Grizzlies during his tenure with the team, especially with regard to shooting and other avenues of offensive development.
Given that Rajaković was the lead assistant for the Grizzlies in his time with the team, keep your eye on who might emerge as a coaching leader next to head coach Taylor Jenkins this summer as the Grizzlies get back to Summer League play.
No matter how you slice it, The Memphis Grizzlies are heading into a pivotal season with changes abound. Ja Morant will be missing the first 25 games due to a violation of league conduct. Long-time anchor Tyus Jones is now on a different team and Dillon Brooks is expected to move to a new home in the NBA this summer as well. The core three of Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Desmond Bane will all be signed to lucrative long-term deals come the season tip-off in October.
Now more than ever, depth means everything for Memphis, and it all starts with most of the roster that will be playing for the team in Summer League. These series of games are a pertinent avenue for the Grizzlies to develop young talent that soon is intrinsic to helping the Grizzlies compete for a championship. These guys got next, so let’s see what they’ve got.
The Grizzlies will hit the floor on July 3rd to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves for the start of Salt Lake City Summer League and will then eventually move on on July 8th to take on the Chicago Bulls for the start of Las Vegas Summer League. You can find their full NBA summer league schedule here.
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