1 stud and 1 dud from Grizzlies crushing loss to Clippers
![SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - FEBRUARY 17: Kenneth Lofton Jr. #6 of Team Jason looks on during the Jordan Rising Stars Game as part of 2023 NBA All Star Weekend at Vivint Arena on February 17, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - FEBRUARY 17: Kenneth Lofton Jr. #6 of Team Jason looks on during the Jordan Rising Stars Game as part of 2023 NBA All Star Weekend at Vivint Arena on February 17, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/2272ff1454b25afd70412ca9dd44f66c9c4fb4a1ebeebd191bc4865210012827.jpg)
Grizzlies Stud: Kenneth Lofton Jr.
Although Jake LaRavia deserves recognition for his 22-point performance, the stud of the game, as has been the case for most games this year’s Summer League, is Kenneth Lofton Jr.
His 24-point and 10-rebound double-double will go down as yet another feather in the cap for Junior this summer, who has been one of the definite standouts from Vegas play so far this offseason.
Lofton was efficient all game long, going 9-of-12 from the field and 2-of-4 from deep. Throughout his 30 minutes of action, the second-year forward showed improvement on defense with a pair of steals to go along with a stark presence around the paint and was able to find cutters and open shooters fairly consistently, even if the assist numbers didn’t show it.
Although there were notable areas for improvement, namely the seven team turnovers (three of which were the result of offensive fouls committed by Junior), the Grizzlies would have been in far worse shape if not for their sophomore’s standout performance.
In fact, players not named Lofton and LaRavia shot just 10-of-32 from the field in this game, including a horrid 3-of-20 from deep.
Though the loss was certainly bleak, they certainly saw a bright spot from the outing in the former Louisiana Tech standout.