Memphis Grizzlies: How the rookies looked in first Summer League game

Before the Memphis Grizzlies head to the Las Vegas Summer League, the team is making a three-game pit stop to compete in the 2022 Salt Lake City Summer League.

The Grizzlies are joined by the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Philadelphia 76ers at Vivint Arena to showcase the talents of recently acquired draft picks, young players in need of developmental time, and scores of players competing for another opportunity with a G-League team.

Kennedy Chandler, Ziaire Williams, Santi Aldama, Jake LaRavia, and Xavier Tillman Sr. started for the Grizzlies in the team’s first Summer League game of the season. While the three main-roster players and their ups and downs in the game, we’re focusing on the newcomers for this piece.

Let’s take a look at the five rookies who will be on the opening night roster and how they fared in their first game as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

How did Jake LaRavia look in his first game for the Memphis Grizzlies?

The No. 19 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Jake LaRavia, played 24 minutes in the win over Philadelphia.

The 6’7″ forward started the game and logged 24 minutes. He finished the game with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He was impressive from behind the arc, shooting 4 for 7 (57.1%).

It’s only the first game, but LaRavia made smart decisions for the most part. He gave us a glimpse of what he can do and why the Grizzlies made some moves to ensure they acquired him on draft night.

LaRavia’s play in Summer League is going to have added emphasis with Jaren Jackson Jr. going down with an offseason injury. It’s widely thought that he could compete for the starting job with a solid Summer League and training camp later in the year.