Prospect Overview
Aggressive scoring guard whose quickness and shot making ability made him one of the most prolific scorers in the country over his last two years at Vanderbilt.
About Scotty Pippen Jr.
Scotty Pippen Jr. is a quick scoring guard who carried Vanderbilt for long stretches last season leading the SEC in scoring by a comfortable margin. The son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, the Los Angeles native was regarded as a consensus top-175 prospect in the high school class of 2019 following his senior year at Sierra Canyon School (CA). Exceeding expectations under head coach Jerry Stackhouse as a true freshman, Pippen scored 12 points per game in his first year in the SEC but showed considerable growth averaging 20.9 per game as a sophomore.
Declaring for and withdrawing from the 2021 NBA Draft after a solid showing at the G League Elite Camp, Pippen Jr. figured to put up gaudy numbers as a junior. Finishing his final collegiate season averaging 20.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.9 steals over 33.1 minutes per game, the 21-year-old earned All-SEC first team honors and carried the Commodores to a 10-win turnaround from his sophomore year.
• Measured standing 6-foot-1.5 in shoes with a 180-pound frame that still has room to improve and a 6-foot-5.75 wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, Pippen Jr. does not have great positional size, but has good length for his height and excellent all-around athleticism.
• Leading the Commodores in scoring by a wide margin, Pippen Jr. carried one of the larger offensive burdens in college basketball last season. Creating his own shot prolifically out of ball screens, serving as the target of many of Vanderbilt’s set actions, and being opportunistic off the ball, he put points on the board in bunches in a variety of ways last season. Showing the ability to get downhill and get to the line at a tremendous rate, stop and pop in the midrange, and heat up from beyond the arc, Pippen Jr. is a dangerous three-level scorer who still has room to improve his jump shooting consistency and playmaking ability as he transitions into a smaller role at the next level.
• Proving pesky at times with his length and quickness in the passing lanes and showing the ability to use his speed to contain the ball, Pippen Jr. will need to become consistent with his effort level to help compensate for his lack of size against NBA-caliber guards.
Advanced Stats
• Handling the ball extensively for the Commodores and often getting the ball back in designed actions after giving it up, Pippen Jr. played a huge role leading Vanderbilt in points and assists per game. Doing much of his damage out of ball screens, his burst with the ball, speed out of crossovers, and comfort level scoring inside the arc allowed him to put significant pressure on opposing defenses.
• With a third of his shot attempts coming on pull-up jumpers, Pippen Jr. was not shy from the midrange or from beyond the 3-point line. Averaging 0.80 points per pull-up jump shot [56th percentile] his ability to stop and pop or use crafty footwork to create separation set up the rest of his game. Averaging 1.09 points per shot around the rim in the half court [43rd percentile] finishing creatively and with more pop than one might expect in space, Pippen Jr. is a capable finisher for his size and drew a huge volume of fouls attacking the rim.
• Pippen Jr. scored 1.00 points per catch and shoot jump shot in the half court [53rd percentile] as he has solid mechanics getting a lot of air under the ball, but was far more effective in space than when contested as his size played against him in spot up situations.
• Making the simple play out of ball screens and looking for the open man when probing the lane, Pippen Jr. could become a more effective passer at the next level–particularly in the open floor.
Defensive Analysis
• Possessing terrific quickness, Pippen Jr. had some positive moments pressuring the ball and getting deflections in the passing lanes. He was not shy about being physical guarding on the ball last season despite his relatively slight frame.
• Giving up size in some matchups, Pippen Jr.’s ability to bring a consistent sense of urgency on and off the ball figures to help him better compensate for the more difficult matchups he’ll face at the NBA level.
— Profile by Synergy Sports
