Which Memphis Grizzlies made the best impressions during Summer League?
The Memphis Grizzlies have concluded their slate of seven Summer League games, finishing with an overall record of 4-3. They finished 2-1 in Salt Lake City and an even split (2-2) in Las Vegas.
The exhibitions were highlighted by a 120-84 blow-out win vs the Brooklyn Nets on July 12, which we found out tied the record for most points scored by a single team during a Summer League game. Their 120 points matched the Denver Nuggets’ total, set way back in 2007— when rookies Kennedy Chandler and Kenneth Lofton Jr. were just five years old.
Nearly all of the main roster players showed up over the course of the two leagues, including Ja Morant, who made his presence known in just about every game, thanks to the copious amounts of television coverage on all the ESPN television properties and NBATV. Whether he was cheering, coaching or socializing, the guys competing on the court were appreciative that he was there watching.
We all know that Morant and Chandler had a pre-existing relationship prior to him being drafted by the Grizzlies, but that still left several other newcomers and a few main-roster players (Ziaire Williams, Santi Aldama, and Xavier Tillman Sr.) that perhaps had an extra pep in their step by having one of the league’s brightest stars on hand to watch them hoop— especially when he could literally be anywhere else in the world celebrating the signing of his max contract extension.
Morant being there not only shows you what kind of leader he is, but how important it is that these young players find their place in the team’s culture and system. The team will be counting on a lot of these young players to contribute in meaningful ways next season due to a variety of factors: Kyle Anderson leaving in free agency, De’Anthony Melton being traded, Jaren Jackson Jr. being ruled out for 4-6 months due to recovery from surgery.
So which players on the Memphis Grizzlies Summer League team impressed? Who raised their stock and perhaps earned a bit of trust and capital from the coaching staff to be plugged in with Morant and Desmond Bane once the regular season kicks off in the fall?
Let’s take a look at four players who raised their stock the most during the 2022 Summer League.