3 Risers, 1 faller from exciting Grizzlies Summer League

Following their tumultuous 2023-24 campaign where they won a mere 27 games, Memphis Grizzlies fans were starved for any semblance of successful on-court action from their beloved franchise.

This offseason, they finally got what they've been craving... well, sort of.

The Grizzlies proved to be one of the top teams participating in this year's Summer League, the association's annual tournament featuring rookie, sophomore, and G League affiliate players all looking for an opportunity to keep their NBA dreams alive.

Going 5-1 during the Las Vegas stretch of play, Memphis almost managed to win it all this past Monday evening during the Championship round, though fell just short of achieving such a feat in overtime, losing to the Miami Heat by a final score of 120-118.

Risers and fallers from Memphis Grizzlies Summer League team

While they failed to run the gauntlet and pull out a miraculous 6-0 record during these offseason exhibitions, the individual performances put forth by some of the club's participants certainly deserve the attention and praise from both fans, pundits, and, in some instances, the actual organization itself.

Of course, not all who logged minutes found themselves excelling -- In fact, there were a few who severely disappointed and, in some ways, played a direct part in the ultimate demise of the Grizzlies.

When examining both the good and bad play from this year's Summer League, there are three players, in particular, who seemed to raise their stocks and one who saw theirs plummet.

Riser: GG Jackson

After the sensational first-year campaign he had where he finished as the only second-round pick to earn an All-Rookie team nod, it was hard to argue that his stock was pointing anywhere but up heading into year two.

Through six games played during this year's Summer League, all signs suggest he's on track to continue his ascension during his upcoming sophomore run.

Pacing the team in points (22.0), rebounds (8.5), and field goals made (7.8) averages, Jackson took on a leading man role with the Grizzlies during the tournament where, in the end, he proved quite comfortable in.

Seemingly improving with every passing contest, by the time Summer League came to its conclusion, it had been well established that the 19-year-old had shown advancements in his long-range shooting stroke (cashed in on 37.5 percent from deep), rebounding acumen, and creation skills (2.2 per game).

While it's hard to expect he'll reproduce these numbers during the regular season when forced to take a back seat to the likes of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., what his production showed is that he's capable of turning it on when needed, especially on the offensive end, and could make him exactly what this team could use at the sixth or seventh man spot within the rotation.