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Zach Edey's debut, Scotty Pippen Jr.'s rise and other Memphis Grizzlies summer league takeaways
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- Zach Edey's debut, Scotty Pippen Jr.'s rise and other Memphis Grizzlies summer league takeaways
Memphis Grizzlies center Trey Jemison 's hands were on his head in shock.
Miami Heat wing Pelle Larsson 's final shot attempt rolled around the rim and into the basket as the Grizzlies fell 120-118 in overtime Monday in the NBA summer league championship in Las Vegas.
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Jemison's reaction was a moment of sadness, but that was the case only because the Grizzlies had done so well through their first five Las Vegas Summer League games. They had three wins by double digits and saw several players make noticeable impacts.
Considering that Memphis will have an experienced rotation this season, the summer provided an encouraging outcome.
Here are five things we learned from summer league.
A sigh of relief
This was an opportunity for the Memphis fan base to take a deep breath. The Grizzlies brought a lot of experienced players to Las Vegas, and one of the reasons was because the team needed to see more. Jake LaRavia is a former first-round pick entering his third season, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jemison had small sample sizes and the rookie class needed to show versatility.
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LaRavia's performance in particular was crucial, given that the team has to decide on his option before the season. The 2022 first-round pick was arguably the team's best player when he was on the court, and that's what Memphis needed to see.
Zach Edey shows just enough
Many eyes were glued to the Grizzlies' first summer league game in Utah to see No. 9 overall pick Zach Edey. As it turned out, that was the only full game he played. Ankle injuries limited him to six quarters of summer basketball, but that still felt like enough to be confident in his ability to make an NBA impact.
Edey played well against third-year Utah Jazz big Walker Kessler , who was one of the best centers at summer league. Edey showed signs of solid screens, rim protection and paint scoring.
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Scotty Pippen Jr. adds guard depth
Pippen was the most consistent player for the Grizzlies this summer. He hounded opponents on defense while showcasing efficient scoring and table-setting playmaking. He was the most productive guard in Las Vegas, and that is a big development for a Memphis team that has unanswered questions at point guard behind Ja Morant .
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GG Jackson 's game outside of scoring
It wasn't a surprise to see GG Jackson score more total points than anyone in Las Vegas. The questions for him were always going to be about the other areas of his game. His rebounding took a step forward and should continue to grow as the 19-year old forward gets stronger. His playmaking and decision-making remain inconsistent, but his ability to rebound bodes well for his chances to crack a healthy Grizzlies rotation.
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Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer can shoot it
Well, duh. Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer were drafted by the Grizzlies in large part because of their shooting profiles. Both players showcased why. Shooting accuracy sometimes takes longer to translate because of the longer distance and better athletes. Summer league competition isn't exactly going against wing defenders like Kawhi Leonard or Herb Jones , but it feels like Memphis added two players who will make defenses pay for focusing too much attention on Morant, Desmond Bane or Jaren Jackson Jr.
Spencer shot 57.1% on 3-pointers in a small two-game sample size, and Wells made 40% while attempting five per game.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com . Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 5 Memphis Grizzlies NBA summer league takeaways, including Zach Edey
