Grizzlies urged to make savvy move following epic Summer League finale

The Memphis Grizzlies may have fallen short of a championship during this year's Summer League, as they lost to the Miami Heat during Monday's epic finale by a final score of 120-118, but their run proved to be an incredibly entertaining journey that's bound to give fans and pundits confidence in the franchise as we approach the 2024-25 regular season.

From overall successes that saw the team rattle off five straight wins en route to the title round to individual performances that saw two Grizzlies be named to the Summer League First Team, there are many positive takeaways to be had from these Las Vegas exhibitions.

However, arguably one of the most notable talking points post-Monday's finale comes from beat reporter Damichael Cole, as he made the bold claim that Scotty Pippen Jr. -- one of the two to receive First Team honors -- performed well enough to the point where he "made his case" to join the varsity team out in Grind City on a full-time basis to serve as the club's backup point guard behind Ja Morant.

Grizzlies urged to promote Scotty Pippen Jr. to backup point guard

Throughout the tournament, Pippen Jr. has found himself consistently lighting up the stat sheet and serving as a steady quarterback on the court for the Grizzlies, receiving ample praise from full-timers in GG Jackson for his contributions along the way.

Leading up to the big game, the 23-year-old was posting stellar averages of 23.0 points, 8.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 steals while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and, during the championship-round clinching win over the LA Clippers on Sunday, he dropped a triple-double of 23 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds while adding 2 steals and a block to the mix as well.

Against the Heat, though his efforts ultimately weren't enough to thrust thrust Memphis toward a title, he still proved to be a major catalyst in keeping things as close as they were during the overtime affair, as he posted a whopping 29 points and dished out 11 assists along the way.

Of course, for those who remained loyal viewers during last season's tumultuous 27-55 campaign, this productivity shouldn't come as all that great of a shock to Grizzlies fans.

In 21 games with the organization, Pippen showcased an ability to command an offense with his ball-handling skills, scoring abilities, court vision, and overall hustle, finishing his debut season with the team boasting averages of 12.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals on 49.3 percent shooting from the floor and 41.7 percent shooting from distance.

Though the Grizzlies opted to take a swing on trading for more of a win-now talent in Marcus Smart last offseason, in doing so they parted ways with their highly valuable and beloved backup to Ja Morant, Tyus Jones, in the process (shipped to the Wizards as part of a multi-team exchange).

Since the guard's departure, his facilitating and offensive orchestrating attributes have been severely missed by Memphis.

Cole seems to be of the impression that the two-way Pippen has earned the right to take over such a role for the Grizzlies on a more regular basis, and his numbers and track record only show that he's well worth the investment.