3 Summer League players who are justifying Grizzlies investment in their upside

The Memphis Grizzlies may have capped their 2023-24 campaign off on a rather low note after finishing with a record of 27-55 and missing out on the playoff for the first time in four seasons, but their Summer League squad has fortunately managed to play like a truly elite unit.

Through five games played in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas during the festivities, headman Jason March has helped guide the club to a a 3-2 record and has seen an average point differential of +37 after securing back-to-back 20-point victories against the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks, respectively.

From their steady offensive attack to their absolutely menacing defensive play, the Grizzlies have been a ferocious force to be reckoned with on the hardwood and, among the players who have logged minutes during these offseason exhibitions, there are four, in particular, who have already proving the franchise worthy of having faith in their upside potential.

Grizzlies Player No. 1) Cam Spencer

Despite being the final player picked by the Grizzlies during this past June's NBA Draft, through this point of the Summer League Cam Spencer has proven himself to be the most consistently productive player compared to the two individuals selected ahead of him.

While suiting up for four of their five outings played, the UConn standout has impressed his teammates and coaching staff with his on-court talents and overall intensity, with the latter of which having guys like GG Jackson praise him for being a "f*cking dog."

Spencer is showcasing the sharpshooting prowess that made him a fixture within the Huskie's National Championship-winning rotation this past season, as he's posting 13.8 points on 57.9 percent shooting from the floor and 52.6 percent shooting from deep to go along with 4.0 boards, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per night.

Displaying a solid mixture of shot creation and catch-and-shoot abilities, though he may just be attached to a two-way deal, as of this writing, the rookie guard appears to be playing his way toward matching the league's 50-game regular season limit with the varsity team that's allotted to talents attached to such a pact.

Grizzlies Player No. 2) Zach Edey

Even though Zach Edey has only played in one single Summer League bout thus far in his professional career, it already seems fair to say that he's done enough to sway the naysayers.

Logging 33.5 minutes right off the bat during the Salt Lake City stint of the festivities, despite being game-planned around by the Utah Jazz's coaching staff and being glued to at the hip by defensive specialist Walker Kessler and fellow rookie Kyle Filipowski all night, the behemoth big went on to drop 14 points, 15 rebounds, and an assist while swatting away a whopping 4 shots and converting at a highly efficient 58.3 percent from the field.

On top of his size and as-advertised elite defensive abilities, Edey showed underrated finesse with his finishing skills and proved capable of running the floor in transition -- a concern that many voiced upon his selection by the Grizzlies.

While it may have only been one game, his excellence certainly rubbed off on fans and odds-makers alike, as the 7-foot-4 big man is now considered the odds-on favorite to take home the Rookie of the Year award this coming season.

Of course, since this monstrous outing Edey has been held out due to precautionary reasons concerning an ankle injury, though hopefully fans will be able to see him grace the hardwood yet again this summer and further prove why the Grizzlies were high enough on him to snatch him up with their top-10 draft selection.

Grizzlies Player No. 3) Scotty Pippen Jr.

Scotty Pippen Jr. is good enough to be a full-time NBA player.

He proved as much last season while suiting up for the Grizzlies, as he posted impressive per-game averages of 12.9 points, 4.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 steals on 49.3 percent shooting and 41.7 percent shooting from deep, and, through four games played in the Summer League, he's only strengthening this sentiment even more.

A true floor-general type of point guard, Pippen is playing the role of quarterback of the hardwood thus far into the festivities and is thriving while doing so.

Logging 29.8 minutes per game, the 23-year-old is sporting impressive averages of 18.3 points, 5.5 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and a whopping 4.0 steals all while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor.

With his underrated handles and speed, the soon-to-be junior has managed to pick apart defenses seemingly at will, while his quick hands have disrupted many opposing team's offensive sets -- take their latest outing against the Mavericks where he racked up five steals, for example.

Ever since Tyus Jones departed from the Grizzlies last summer, the team has been missing that pure backup one guard who can properly run an offense and fill in for Ja Morant when in need of a rest.

Fortunately for them, they seem to have found this type of talent in Pippen, and, if his production during his debut season with the organization wasn't enough to convince them, hopefully, his play during this year's Summer League will.