Not so long ago, the Grizzlies ended up giving Rayan Rupert a 10-day contract. Rupert did well with his opportunities and ended up earning a two-way contract with the team shortly after. Despite playing his best basketball since entering the NBA, Rupert just dropped the most shocking performance of the Grizzlies' season.
The Grizzlies just fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 131-115 and suffered their 4th straight loss. Even though both teams are battling for draft position, Rupert's performance still ended up stealing the show. To the surprise of many fans, Rayan Rupert ended up picking up the first triple double of his entire NBA career.
Most fans simply did not see this coming at all
In 39 minutes, Rupert had 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He also added 4 steals and a block despite the Grizzlies falling short. Rupert's previous career high in scoring was 20 points, but he surpassed that mark in the first half with 25 first-half points. While Rupert has shown some improvement since arriving in Memphis, this performance was completely unexpected.
It has been a quiet start to his career after being selected by the Portland Trail Blazers 43rd overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. Rupert is only averaging 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists for his career and couldn't really carve out a role in Portland. Since becoming a Grizzly, Rupert is averaging 9.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 28.8 minutes per game.
Even though Rupert has had plenty of double-digit scoring games since the start of March, this was an extremely shocking offensive breakout. Rupert has occasionally shown flashes of defensive playmaking and has a strong ability to rebound. But arguably the most surprising aspect of the entire performance was how much his playmaking flashed.
Rupert has not really stood out as a playmaker, but he still managed to record 10 assists despite the team being significantly shorthanded and playing 4 different 10-day contract players. While Rupert has done well to earn a two-way contract, his path to getting a standard contract is blocked by the Grizzlies already having promising young pieces such as Cedric Coward, GG Jackson II, and Jaylen Wells.
The Grizzlies' biggest priority since trading fan favorite Jaren Jackson Jr. has been to maximize draft positioning for this year's stacked 2026 NBA Draft class. It will be hard to find more wins for the Grizzlies this season, but moments like Rayan Rupert's triple double today make these late games worth watching.
Every season produces stunning performances, but Rayan Rupert just gave the Grizzlies their most shocking performance of the whole season.