Though the likes of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane may headline the crop of ballers representing the Memphis Grizzlies organization, by no means are they limited to just those three talents.
Running alongside them are a slew of other quality players with varying degrees of experience and upside.
From the savvy and highly accomplished veterans like Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose to the promising youngsters like GG Jackson, Vince Williams Jr., and Zach Edey, Taylor Jenkins has an enviable amount of talent residing within his rotation that, assuming they'll be fully healthy, will be a major headache for opposing clubs to square off against in 2024-25.
However, there's one name, in particular, that seems to fall under the radar when it comes to the conversation of noteworthy members of this Grizzlies organization, as Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes believes Scotty Pippen Jr. to be the club's "best kept secret."
Scotty Pippen Jr. tabbed as 'best kept secret' on Memphis Grizzlies
During their putrid 27-55 2023-24 campaign, Pippen proved to be one of the primary beneficiaries of the plethora of injuries that inundated the majority of the Grizzlies' core foundation.
Signed in mid-January to a two-way deal, the point guard quickly earned consistent minutes within coach Jenkins' lineup, and, by his fourth game played, he wound up being inserted into the starting rotation where he went on to post 12 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block while shooting 50.0 percent from distance.
From there on out, he would finish off with impressive per-game averages of 13.8 points, 4.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 steals on 49.2 percent shooting from the floor and 40.6 percent shooting from deep.
Now, despite this solid production and stellar efficiency, not many seemed to take the 23-year-old's game seriously, as Hughes noted in his piece that onlookers often "write off standout stretches in meaningless games," which, unfortunately, all of Pippen's 21 outings played with the Grizzlies were during the season.
However, following his stupendous showing during this offseason's Summer League tournament, the B/R writer feels that the soon-to-be third-year pro deserves recognition.
"We write off standout stretches in meaningless games like this all the time, and it seemed fair to do that until the 23-year-old was arguably the best player in the Las Vegas Summer League. Pippen defined his run there with intense defensive pressure, which contributed to a remarkable 20 steals in just six games," Hughes wrote.
Scotty Pippen Jr. dropped a TRIPLE DOUBLE to lead the @memgrizz to the #NBA2KSummerLeague Championship!
— NBA (@NBA) July 21, 2024
23 PTS | 10 REB | 10 AST pic.twitter.com/WazhLJEMjS
A First-Team All Summer League selectee, Pippen closed out the tournament with the Grizzlies posting a sensational stat-line of 21.5 points, 8.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.3 steals while guiding the team to the championship round with a record of 5-1.
With his quick acceleration, exceptional court vision, and astounding defensive IQ the guard has filled a void within the rotation that was severely missing since the departure of beloved veteran Tyus Jones last summer.
Every passing day appears to strengthen the notion that Pippen is undoubtedly one of the best contracts currently attached to this Grizzlies team, and, assuming he can continue his level of play moving forward, Hughes is under the impression that he "could even see real time as a backup point guard behind Ja Morant if Marcus Smart is either hurt or best utilized as a wing."