Memphis Grizzlies I couldn’t make it.
They competed in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas before losing to the Miami Heat 120-118 in overtime in Monday’s championship game, missing out on a chance to win the organization’s second Summer League title.
Josh Christopher scored 24 points to lead the Heat, who won their first title after an undefeated Summer League. Jake LaRavia led the Grizzlies with 32 points, but it wasn’t enough. The two teams were tied after 40 minutes, but the Heat won the race to 120 points in overtime.
The Grizzlies played Monday without Zach Edey and Cam Spencer, two of their 2024 draft picks who played well in limited summer league action before injuries shut them down.
Here are three takeaways from Monday’s summer finale.
Zach Edey and Cam Spencer sat down again
Edey’s performance in the Salt Lake City Summer League opener (14 points and 15 rebounds) against Utah immediately made him the favorite of some bookmakers for the NBA Rookie of the Year award and had Grizzlies fans salivating over his form next to Ja Morant.
But Edey injured his ankle and barely played after that, missing the rest of Salt Lake City’s games. He returned to Las Vegas, but suffered another ankle injury and was benched over the summer.
Spencer, a second-round pick out of the University of Connecticut, looked good playing. But even without Edey and Spencer, the Grizzlies had no trouble dispatching their summer league opponents.
Jake LaRavia returned and finished summer league strong
LaRavia had missed three straight games, but on Monday he attacked from the start.
His summer league performance could give him confidence heading into the 2024-25 season. A 2022 first-round pick out of Wake Forest, LaRavia has had an up-and-down career with the Grizzlies.
Scotty Pippen Jr. Defends His Interests with the Grizzlies
The NBA announced before the game that Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson had been named the Summer League MVP. But Scotty Pippen Jr., who earned All-Summer League First Team honors along with GG Jackson, certainly made a strong case with his performance Monday to be the Grizzlies’ backup point guard.
A day after posting a triple-double against the Los Angeles Clippers, the sixth in Summer League history, Pippen scored 29 points, had 11 assists and four steals against the Heat.
Contact sportswriter Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or X @thejonahdylan.
