The Memphis Grizzlies may have lost to the OKC Thunder during night two of the Salt Lake City Summer League, but they managed to come away having grounded 2022 No. 2 overall pick, Chet Holmgren.
Holmgren faced the Grizzlies less than 24 hours after an unbelievably great NBA debut, which saw him record 23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 4 assists. The former Gonzaga standout shot 7 for 9 from the field (4-6 3PT) in just over 23 minutes of action vs the 76ers and the internet went wild for his July 5 performance.
The Grizzlies had a tall task entering the July 6 contest, made even more difficult by the fact that they were competing with a reduced roster for night two of the SLC Summer League. The Memphis Grizzlies decided not to dress Ziaire Williams, Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, Kennedy Chandler, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Santi Aldama in this game against Holmgren and the Thunder.
However, those healthy scratches enabled guys that didn’t get much playing time in night one to take the court and show the coaching staff what they can do.
One player, in particular, Kenneth Lofton Jr., was inserted into the starting lineup to showcase what he can do.
And boy, did he impress.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. and the Memphis Grizzlies exposed Chet Holmgren
Lofton, listed at 6’8″ and 275 pounds, had an 80-pound size advantage over Holmgren. He used that advantage to straight-up bully Holmgren at times during the game, looking very Zach Randolph-esque at times.
Holmgren, listed at 7’1″ and 195 pounds, used his five-inch height advantage to try and make things difficult for the former Louisiana Tech Bulldog.
We saw Lofton use that 80-pound advantage to go right at Holmgren from the jump. Lofton, indeed, looked like a mini-Zach Randolph out there, complete with the left-handed jump shot and footwork in the paint.
It immediately begs the question if Holmgren will be able to hold his own against far stronger players during the regular season. It was a stark reminder to the crowd who loves to overreact to these Summer League games.
Ja had to dap up Kenneth Lofton Jr. after hitting this three on Chet 🤝🔥 @brhoops
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 7, 2022
(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/KLVpcfcCxv
Lofton showed his range in this game, too. He hit a three over Holmgren from the logo as the shot clock was winding down in the third quarter.
A visibly fatigued Holmgren logged nearly 26 minutes of action vs the Grizzlies but shot an anemic 3 for 11 from the field (1-6 3PT). But, he still found a way to make an impact, pulling down 12 rebounds and recording 2 blocks vs Memphis.
Lofton, who faced Holmgren for the majority of the time they were both on the court, ended up with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in his 23 minutes on the court. He shot well, knocking down 8 of his 17 attempts (2-6 3PT).
We’ve only seen Lofton compete in two games for the Grizzlies, but even from that small sample size, it’s undeniable that there will be a spot on this team for the undrafted rookie.
He’s already been signed to a two-way contract, but expect Taylor Jenkins to roll the dice and give Lofton some playing time if he keeps up the stellar play.