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  MikeCheck: Pippen’s first NBA start caps January’s breakout development for Grizzlies prospects

  MEMPHIS – Soon after joining the Grizzlies on a recent road trip, Scotty Pippen Jr. gazed up into the rafters at Chicago’s United Center and pointed toward his father’s retired jersey number.

  “It’s still surreal to see my dad’s name up there,” Pippen Jr. said of the Hall of Fame forward who teamed with Michael Jordan for six NBA championships with the Bulls in the 1990s. “I remember being a little kid running around here. So, this opportunity is something I’m definitely excited about.”

  

  At the time, Pippen Jr. had just signed a two-year, Two-Way deal and was simply thrilled to get a chance to join the Grizzlies’ development program. That Jan. 20 night in Chicago, the younger Pippen played the final minutes of a loss to the Bulls in what was a milestone moment.

  After spending most of this season and last year in the NBA G League, it was the 23-year-old point guard’s first time as an NBA player on the court where his father once dominated.

  Those career-defining moments were only just beginning for Pippen Jr., who made his first NBA start Monday against the Kings to close an encouraging month of roster development and resilient play for the Grizzlies.

  Capitalizing on such opportunities has become a silver lining for the Grizzlies as they endure a rash of injuries that have sidelined most of their key players. January has been a breakthrough month – essentially out of necessity – for several younger players and prospects who have been groomed through the team’s G League pipeline.

  The Grizzlies went 8-7 in January for their first winning month of the season, a stretch in which they’ve relied heavily on rookies or second-year players to fill massive voids created by injuries. That group has included Vince Williams Jr., David Roddy, GG Jackson, Jacob Gilyard and Pippen Jr., who have helped veteran star big man Jaren Jackson Jr. push the team through adversity.

  

  “We understand our reality,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins explained. “We know the long-term injuries (and) short-term injuries, guys that are busting their tails to get back out there. The guys in uniform right now, how hard they’re playing and how great they’re playing together, that’s what we’re leaning into. We just come in, having our standard and our mentality every day.”

  The Grizzlies’ injury list reached a season-high point this week, with 11 players sitting out of Monday’s 103-94 home loss to the Kings. To reach the minimum of eight available players required by NBA rules, the Grizzlies signed forward Matt Hurt on Monday to a 10-day contract from the roster of their G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.

  On Tuesday, the Grizzlies used roster injury exceptions to add two additional G League players on 10-day contracts in forward Tosan Evbuomwan and center Trey Jemison. In Hurt, the Grizzlies promoted the G League’s leading scorer this season who was averaging 25.5 points a game. 

  Evbuomwan and Jemison, who were respectively playing on the Pistons’ and Pelicans’ G League teams, were averaging a combined 26 points and 20.2 rebounds in the development league.

  Available bodies are simply needed at this point to help push through a grueling stretch of the schedule. January ended with the Grizzlies having played eight games in seven different cities, including five of the last six contests on the road.

  

  When Pippen Jr. opened Monday’s game at point guard, it was the 12^th different starting lineup the team deployed over 15 January games. That challenging level of attrition has been the case all season, with the Grizzlies having used an NBA-high 27 starting lineups in 47 games. 

  Sixteen different players have made at least one start for Memphis, which will enter February with a total of 254 collective games missed this season to player injuries. Those numbers will only mushroom with Ja Morant (shoulder surgery) and Steven Adams (knee surgery) out for the season, while Brandon Clarke (Achilles surgery recovery) remains sidelined indefinitely.

  But the hope is that February will eventually bring reinforcements from key contributors.

  Starting guards Desmond Bane (ankle sprain) and Marcus Smart (finger sprain) are scheduled to be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks. Smart was injured on Jan. 9 in Dallas and Bane was hurt the following game on Jan. 12 at home against the Clippers.

  Both Derrick Rose (hamstring strain) and Luke Kennard (knee soreness) have been considered week-to-week as they’ve been in and out of the lineup battling various issues the past month.

  Yet, the Grizzlies have fought on with consistent effort and competitive edge despite limited depth and experience on most nights. Their 5-3 road record in January included four victories against teams with winning records. In two games this month, the Grizzlies learned tough lessons from their inability to close after leading by as many as 15 points.

  

  “Through it all, it feels like guys are capitalizing on the opportunity that’s at hand,” rookie forward GG Jackson said. “It’s unfortunate that guys are out due to injuries. But we’ve all had to step up. We’ve had to fill in those roles, not saying that we’re like Desmond and them. But we’ve had to try to act like them and carry ourselves like them if we want to win like them.”

  As a result, no team in the NBA has gotten more production from their current or recent Two-Way developmental players as the Grizzlies have this season, especially this month.

  Jackson, who turned 19 in December, became the second-youngest player in NBA history to score 20 or more points in consecutive games when he tallied 20 on Jan. 13 against the Knicks and 23 on Jan. 15 against the Warriors.

  Gilyard has played in 30 games, including 10 starts, on a Two-Way contract to fill in at point guard while Morant, Rose and Smart have been out of action.

  Williams opened the season on a Two-Way deal but was promoted to a standard three-year NBA contract on Jan. 10 after emerging as one of the biggest breakout prospects in the NBA. He closed the month of January averaging 17.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 34.9 minutes over his last eight games.

  And then there was Pippen Jr., who went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2022 while playing for former NBA star and ex-Grizzlies assistant coach Jerry Stackhouse. He spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and their G League affiliate before joining the Grizzlies on Jan. 17.

  

  The Grizzlies have been intrigued by Pippen’s pedigree and playmaking. Pippen Jr. has pieced together pointers and wisdom he’s gleaned from his legendary father, college seasons under Stackhouse and practice sessions last season with LeBron James to prepare for this moment. 

  “I’ve learned a lot being around guys like that, guys that I grew up looking up to,” said Pippen Jr., who is averaging 8.5 points, four assists and three rebounds on 57.1 percent 3-point shooting in four games with Memphis. “They taught me a lot about the game and stuff I needed to pick up on. I learned a lot about taking care of your body, things I’m trying to build on since last year.”

  Stackhouse insists the Grizzlies are getting a fast learner with dynamic upside.

  “We took him through the carwash with things he would experience at the next level,” Stackhouse said of Pippen Jr., a two-time First Team All-SEC selection. “We asked him to do so much, he had one of the highest usage rates in college basketball. His competitiveness, understanding and ability to absorb information just accelerated his growth with our program.”

  Jenkins agrees with Stackhouse’s assessment, based on what he’s seen so far. At 6-1 and 170 pounds, Jenkins said Pippen Jr. has “a lot of pop for his size” with a versatile game.

  “Especially the last year or two, just seeing his growth as a playmaker is something that’s really stood out,” Jenkins said. “We’ve done our homework on him, and he’s a guy that fits in great with our group. As his opportunities come, I’ve told him to just stay ready. The IQ piece and the playmaking we saw can translate with the style we play.”

  

  Right now, the Grizzlies are playing with all available hands on deck.

  “Grizzlies fans can expect a guy that’s going to come in and give it his all,” Pippen Jr. said of maximizing these moments. “And I’ll do everything I can to seize the best of this opportunity.”

  That January spark was fueled by Jaren Jackson turning in the most durable and productive month of his career, averaging nearly 25 points and missing only two starts all season. 

  He’s been supported by a group of young prospects performing well presently for the Grizzlies, and with an eye toward solidifying future NBA roles.

  Some, like Williams, already have.

  Others, like Pippen Jr. and GG Jackson, are building stronger cases by the game.

  Michael Wallace
  Published on Jan 30, 2024

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