2018 Summer League

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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.

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. 

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Memphis Grizzlies. All opinions expressed by Michael Wallace are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Memphis Grizzlies or its Basketball Operations staff, owners, parent companies, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Memphis Grizzlies and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

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MikeCheck: Five Things We Learned From Grizzlies’ Summer League Play in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas

Memphis Grizzlies

Las Vegas - The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 82-73 in the Summer League quarterfinals at Thomas and Mack Center on Sunday.

It’s rare to see a wire-to-wire win in any playoff format, but that’s just what Memphis did Sunday night. In fact, the Grizzlies were buoyed by a 26-15 first quarter, as they held the lead for the final three quarters. Memphis led by at least seven points for the entirety of the second half, as it was a double-digit margin until the final minutes.

The shooting disparity was massive, with the Grizzlies hitting 43.3 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3-point range and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. They did that while holding the Sixers to 34.1 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from long range and 50 percent from the free-throw line. Rim protection was also critical, with Memphis tripling up Philly 9-3 in blocked shots.

The Sixers (2-4) were led by Furkan Korkmaz, who tallied 18 points, five rebounds and three assists. Former Notre Dame standout Demetrius Jackson accrued 11 points, two rebounds and two assists. Askia Booker led the bench with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.

The Grizzlies (4-2) best performance came via the bench, with Brandon Goodwin leading the team with 21 points and three boards. No. 4 overall pick Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Last year’s second-rounder, Kobi Simmons, collected 15 points, three rebounds and seven assists.

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Grizzlies sweep 76ers with win in Las Vegas, 82-73

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Grizzlies @ Jazz photos  7.14.18

LAS VEGAS -- Markel Crawford and 2018 second-round pick Jevon Carter combined for 40 points to help the Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in a Las Vegas Summer League consolation game at Cox Pavilion on Thursday evening.

The Grizzlies (2-2) laid the foundation for victory with a dominant first half in which they scored 24 points in each of the first two quarters. Their 48-27 halftime lead appeared safe, but the Thunder (2-2) would make a game of it in the second half. Oklahoma City cut 10 points off Memphis’ edge in the third period, and ultimately put together their best offensive quarter in the final quarter by scoring 33 points. Their defense simply couldn’t keep up, however, as the Grizzlies’ 29 fourth-quarter points were enough to hold off the comeback.

The Grizzlies held the edge for most of the contest, with the game featuring only one tie and one lead change. The Thunder made up substantial ground on the stat sheet after the lopsided first half, and they ultimately boasted five double-digit scorers.

Hamidou Diallo paced the Thunder with 14 points and added five rebounds. Rashawn Thomas followed with 13 points, seven boards, one steal and one block in 19 minutes. Deonte Burton had 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal. Second-round pick Kevin Hervey matched Burton’s scoring and also supplied one rebound and one steal. Mike Cobbins scored 10 points in 15 points, while Daniel Hamilton added seven points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and one block.

Crawford’s 21 points led the Grizzlies and added four rebounds, one assist and two steals. Carter had with 19 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and one steal. First-round pick Jaren Jackson, Jr. posted 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, three blocks and one steal. Brady Heslip and DJ Stephens each had eight points.

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Postgame Report: Grizzlies hold off Thunder for solid win

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Grizzlies vs. Thunder photos 7.12.18

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Grizzlies Summer League practice photos 7.11.18

Las Vegas, NV - After playing lights out in their first two games in Utah, the Memphis Grizzlies have lost three of their last four games, including a 1-2 mark here in Las Vegas. Not coincidentally, the offensive slide has included the return to earth of Jaren Jackson, Jr. who burst onto the scene with one of the most impressive Summer League debuts in recent years.

Jackson was held out of Tuesday’s Sacramento loss. I’m not hearing that there’s any injury to report, only that the Grizzlies staff doesn’t want to overtax the 4th overall pick in the draft. Jackson, as is the case with the rest of the rookie class, isn’t used to playing this quantity of high-level games in such a short period of time. Welcome to the NBA fellas!

Here’s hoping that the Grizzlies can discover some offense before they take on Oklahoma City in the first tournament game Thursday at 3 pm PT/5 pm CT on NBA-TV. The offense dried up in a big way in the third quarter Tuesday against Sacramento. With the Kings up just three at the break, they rolled the Grizzlies in the third quarter by a 27-12 count before going on to win 94-80.

In that third frame, Sacramento shot 58% while the Grizzlies mustered a meager 29%. Ivan Rabb hit three of six tries while the rest of the team shot 3 for 15. Meanwhile, the Kings had eight different players score in the third quarter alone.

Grizzlies were also hurt at the line: the foul-prone Grizzlies sent the Kings to the line 23 times while attempting just eight freebies themselves.

I like what I’m seeing from Jevon Carter. He’s got a certain toughness about him which is something that you really want in your point guard. Obviously he’s got the defensive chops and will only get better with the tutoring of Nick Van Exel, Greg Buckner and Jerry Stackhouse. The pleasant surprise has been a good shooting stroke as well. The Grizzlies drafted Carter for his defensive acumen, so the scoring is a bonus.

Grind City Media mic’d up his mother on Tuesday for the Sacramento game. Afterwards, she wanted to make sure that any “bad stuff” would get edited out. Consider it done and keep an eye out for the next superlative edition of Beyond Grit, coming to a device near you.

Kobi Simmons has made good use of the off-season. On a Grizzlies team that has struggled to get buckets, he’s been able to create his own shot and is a willing and capable driver. As a one-and-done at Arizona, it might take a few years for Simmons to reach his peak, but I think it’ll be worth the wait.

I introduced myself to Chad Forcier, one of the new assistants on the Grizzlies staff. First order of business: “How do you pronounce your name? Is it “fore-sear” or “fore-see-a?” The affable Forcier told me to use whichever I want. Why? “Well, my parents go with ‘fore-sear’ and when I was with the Spurs, Pop always went with ‘fore-see-a.’”

That settles it. I’m a big fan of Gregg Popovich, so on our telecasts, it’s going to be “fore-see-a.” Also sounds a bit more elegant.

Speaking of former Spurs, Chris Vernon spoke very highly of new Grizz Kyle Anderson. “You’re going to LOVE this guy,” Verno gushed after the Sacramento game. He went on to opine that Anderson will be a great locker room guy. Anderson also has a high basketball IQ (which seems to be a prerequisite if you’re going to play for JB Bickerstaff) and is a capable distributor of the basketball. If you want to get Mike Conley off the ball for a few possessions, Anderson is more than capable of initiating the offense. If you haven’t dialed up Verno’s interview with Anderson, I strongly recommend it.

Had a chance meeting with Utah’s Grayson Allen in the hotel elevator Tuesday afternoon. I introduced myself and wished him well. I asked him about the biggest adjustment from Duke to the NBA (albeit at the Summer League level). He said the amount of detail that needs to be digested is much greater in the NBA and praised the Jazz organization as a whole. He also spoke of the volume of media demands, but allowed that he was used to that coming from a high-visibility Duke program. In a one-on-one setting he seems like a good guy, but I can see that his competitive spirit and chippiness on the floor will get under the skin of opponents. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares on this level.

Eric Hasseltine, Brevin Knight and I were honored to be asked by the NBA to do an alternate feed of Summer League games. Eric teamed with former Warrior Kelenna Azubuike on the Miami-Utah contest while BK and I did the Grizzlies game against the Kings. Seems that, particularly in Asia, there is a preference to watch games on mobile phones in portrait orientation instead of landscape. The NBA discovered this during their global fan research and wanted to experiment with what they call “vertical view.”

The actual call of the game didn’t vary from normal and we didn’t get much of a look at the finished feed; our monitors were set up normally in the 16:9 HD ratio. The feed was routed to a distributor (tencent) in Asia. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get it also routed to the Grizzlies website. Preliminary feedback from the NBA broadcast office was that they were pleased with the work we did. Vertical view is just one of the new viewing experiences the NBA is testing here in Las Vegas.

Follow Grizzlies TV Play-By-Play Announcer, Pete Pranica on Twitter @petepranica and on Instagram @petepranica. Stay tuned as Pete shares his perspective on the Grizzlies' performance at 2016 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas right here on Grizzlies.com.

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Pete’s Perspective: Grizzlies’ 2018 Summer League

LAS VEGAS -- The Sacramento Kings broke open a tightly contested affair with a prolific third quarter on their way to a 94-80 win over the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday in the Las Vegas Summer League at Thomas and Mack Center.

A competitive first half culminated in a slim 42-39 halftime lead for the Kings (1-2). However, Sacramento came out of the halftime locker room dominating on both ends of the floor, which allowed them to stretch their lead to 18 points entering the final period. The Grizzlies (1-2) were able to put together their best offensive quarter in the fourth by scoring 29 points, but they’d only made a five-point dent in their deficit by game’s end.

The contest featured 11 ties and eight lead changes, but the Grizzlies’ last advantage came in the latter stages of the second quarter. As the final score implied, the Kings held the advantage in multiple categories across the stat sheet, with their 53.7 percent shooting mark – which included a 40.0 percent success rate from distance -- particularly standing out.

Justin Jackson extended his strong summer by leading the Kings with 20 points and two rebounds. Matt Jones followed with a bench-leading 15 points and added one steal. Harry Giles and Anthony Brown generated matching 11-point efforts, with the former adding 12 rebounds and the latter delivering five boards, four assists and one steal. Frank Mason turned in a 10-point, 13-assist double-double that also included a block.

Ivan Rabb and Wayne Selden co-led the Grizzlies with 17 points apiece. Rabb added eight rebounds, two assists and one steal, while Selden also finished with four assists, three rebounds and one block. Brandon Goodwin poured in 14 points and also logged four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Kobi Simmons supplied 11 points, three assists and one steal. Deyonta Davis registered 10 points, six boards, one assist and one steal.