After missing 12 games, Scotty Pippen Jr. returned to action for the Memphis Grizzlies against the Charlotte Hornets. In his return, Pippen Jr. dished an impressive 10 assists in addition to 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block in the 98-110 loss. During one of the plays, the 6’1” guard rose for a high-flying baseline drive dunk and posterized the defender. This scintillating throwdown pumped up the parents of the explosive guard.
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While Larsa Pippen wasn’t in attendance, she continued the trend of giving Scotty Pippen Jr. his props on Instagram. The mother took to her IG stories and gave her son a lot of love. She wrote, “Let’s go baby @spippenjr”,
Meanwhile, Scottie Pippen was in the audience when his son rose for the jam. As he saw his son jam it down with authority, he looked pleased. His facial expressions showcased excitement and the dunk brought out an “oooh!” reaction from the proud parent. The official handle of ‘houseofhighlights’ posted the video of his reaction and captioned the post, “Scotty Pippen Jr. dunking in front of his dad.”
Thus, both parents were over the moon to witness their child flourishing in the NBA scene. After the injuries to their core guards Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies decided to sign Scotty Pippen Jr. to a two-year deal. He was previously with Lakers G-league affiliation South Bay Lakers.
Pippen Jr. put up 18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.8 steals, per game, in six G-League games. As he was finding his groove, his injury hampered his progress just a week after he put up his career-high in points.
Rising Scotty Pippen Jr. dealt with a serious injury
In nine games for the Grizzlies, as per Statmuse, Scotty Pippen Jr. has tallied an impressive 10.3 points, 5.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals, per game. He has shot 47.8% from the field and has made 1.4 triples per game on 52% shooting from deep. In the first week of February, during a 91-131 loss to the Celts, he scored a career-high 19 points in addition to 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block.
Unfortunately, in the February 12 fixture against the Pelicans, the former Lakers guard injured his back. Later, the MRIs revealed that he had a bulging disc in his lower back. The medical staff announced that the springy guard would be out for at least three weeks. However, it took him more than a month to make a return against the Hornets after missing 12 games.
Before his injury, the 6’1” guard was showcasing laudable all-around skills and played bigger than his size. At any rate, after not grabbing a big role with the Lakers, chances have opened up for the 23-year-old guard. If he continues to impress with the Grizzlies, he can have a lengthy career in the league.
Even though it is too early to say anything about his skillset on the court and his temperament in the league, he has some elite baller DNA. Going ahead, fans will have a lot of expectations from him, considering the legacy he carries with him.
