MEMPHIS – For the second straight year, the Grizzlies wrapped up play in the Las Vegas Summer League with a loss in the semifinal round the other night – this time to the eventual champion Trail Blazers.
The outcome likely would have been different had the Grizzlies not cautiously held out No. 4 overall pick Jaren Jackson Jr., who by that point had played in more summer league games over a three-week span than any player selected in the lottery of last month’s NBA Draft.
The Grizzlies went a combined 6-4 in their respective stints in the Utah Jazz Summer League and Las Vegas Summer League. Here are five things we learned from hoops summer school.
1. Jackson is hardly a developmental project
Enough with widespread conventional wisdom that Jackson could be the best overall player in this draft class in three or four years. My bet is it probably won’t take that long. Yes, the 18-year-old phenom is only scratching the surface of his enormous potential. But Jackson will be a high-impact rookie from Day 1 in this league, and won’t take a backseat to top three picks Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III and Luka Doncic or anyone selected after he landed with the Grizzlies.
It’s never wise to overreact in either direction to the summer league sample size. But some of the remarkable hints Jackson showed in his game the past three weeks shouldn’t be easily dismissed, either. The 6-11 forward/center nailed eight three-pointers in his Grizzlies debut in Salt Lake City, and closed out his summer introduction tying a Vegas League record with seven blocked shots in a game.
Between those feats, Jackson picked up advice, support and endorsements along the way from Hall of Famers and former NBA legends such as Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace to name a few. Each walked away impressed with Jackson’s immense talent and upside, but were enamored with his eagerness to listen, learn and apply their wisdom.
“Coming into this league at 18, I’m just trying to do whatever I can to find my way and be supportive,” said Jackson, who was named to the All-Vegas second team. “There’s so much I need to learn from these guys. As a rookie, you’re supposed to stay grounded, play defense and do all the little things. I just like talking, yelling and getting hyped. So, if I can do that during the (regular) season I’ll be good.”
Jackson averaged 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 25.7 minutes during his three games in Utah. He then shifted his focus more on defense in Vegas, where he was second in that league with 3.8 blocks to go with 11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds in 24.4 minutes over five games.
As ESPN.com pointed out, Jackson’s player efficiency rating (PER) in Vegas was also the highest among the top-five picks who played at least three games and averaged at least 20 minutes.
2. Training camp’s most intriguing battle will be at shooting guard
Set to enter his third NBA season, Wayne Selden was a bit reluctant about having to go through summer league again. But after missing 44 games to injury last season and entering the last year of his contract, the Grizzlies needed to see more.
Selden, a 6-5 chiseled swingman, not only emerged from summer league with his $1.5 million salary fully guaranteed, but he also could enter camp with a legit shot at the starting shooting guard spot.
Dominating at times by mixing physical drives into the lane with a soft shooting stroke, Selden shot 47-percent from the field over his four games. He averaged 23 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in two Utah games and 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in two Vegas appearances.
When healthy, Selden proved to be a viable option last season and started a playoff game two seasons ago in the first round against the Spurs. He looks to build on some encouraging summer play when camp opens in late September, when Selden will join MarShon Brooks, Dillon Brooks and Garrett Temple as projected primary contenders for extensive minutes alongside point guard Mike Conley.
“I’ve worked on some things,” Selden said. “For me, it’s always about staying healthy, staying focused on being able to play as many games as I can. This is a big year for me, and that’s what I look to do.”
3. Jevon Carter is very much a work in progress
Few incoming rookies logged as many minutes and as many games over two summer leagues as Carter, the No. 32 overall pick of the second round out of West Virginia. Carter played in all 10 of the Grizzlies’ games in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, with the one constant being his relentless full-court defensive pressure.
The Grizzlies’ coaches and front-office staff love Carter’s effort and tenacity. What they want to see him develop is some consistency with his perimeter shooting and playmaking. Like most players, summer league action revealed Carter’s upside and his flaws. On the surface, his averages of 11.4 points, 4.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds throughout summer league play appear solid.
But Carter was erratic in landing at those numbers, having shot just 35.6-percent overall from the field. His best stretch came in the Grizzlies’ first three tournament games after round-robin play in Vegas. Carter averaged 18.6 points on 44-percent shooting and added six rebounds, six assists and a steal per game.
Having a first-year impact on the roster for Carter is more complicated than simply beating out Andrew Harrison for backup point guard duties. The Grizzlies have upgraded the roster with veteran and versatile playmakers such as Temple and Kyle Anderson, both of whom can initiate offense. Considering Carter likely won’t be a ball-dominant focal point of the offense during the season like he was in the latter stages of summer league, his path to playing time will hinge on his ability to create and space the floor.
4. Deyonta Davis leaves a void
This week’s trade that shipped the underperforming Davis and Ben McLemore to Sacramento for Temple leaves Marc Gasol as the roster’s lone traditional center.
Although the NBA has been trending toward smaller lineups for years, the Grizzlies have always relished going against the grain – and the franchise has doubled down on the Grit and Grind mantra this offseason.
Davis shot a team-best 60.8-percent from the field last season – largely on dunks and layups – and was third in blocks and fourth in offensive rebounds.
Barring another roster move, his departure means Jackson can likely expect an even larger role at both center and power forward next season as a rim protector.
For now, Gasol is the team’s lone player taller than 6-10 with more than one season of NBA experience.
5.The summer team’s best secondary prospect was Brandon Goodwin
The undrafted point guard out of Florida Gulf Coast made the absolute most of his summer session, and repeatedly drew praise behind the scenes from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and lead assistant coach Chad Forcier.
Goodwin’s offensive playmaking and defensive feistiness stood out among secondary prospects who could be potential options for training camp invites, a two-way contract or spots on the G League’s Memphis Hustle.
Keeping Goodwin around might be a challenge after he shot 53-percent from the field and averaged 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals off the bench in Salt Lake City.
In Vegas, he then increased his scoring to 12 points a game, including a team-high 21 points in 24 minutes during a win over Philadelphia.
Goodwin, D.J. Stephens and Markel Crawford are among the secondary prospects the Grizzlies would most likely push to bring back for another look in camp or for their development program.
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