Scotty Pippen Jr. has been under the pump to perform. While his dad teamed up with Michael Jordan to win 6 Championships, Jr.’s NBA career failed to materialize in the initial stages. He joined the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-way contract but only to ply his trade in the G-League. After playing two seasons for the South Bay Lakers, he took his talents to the Memphis Grizzlies. But if you’re a Pippen, that simply means you’re put to the test from the get-go.

In the spotlight straightaway, the player shifted to Memphis to prove a point, and he’s certainly doing that in the first few games of the season. With multiple point guards in LA, it seems Rob Pelinka and Co. pulled the plug soon on Pippen Jr. With D’Lo and Austin Reaves playing point, Scotty couldn’t get a look-in to showcase his talents. Plus, he would never get the ball with LeBron James being the major ball-handler, so.

In the latest episode of Nightcap, Shannon Sharpe detailed Scotty Pippen Jr.’s impact on the Grizzlies. Sharpe stated, “Scotty Pippen Jr. He’s been playing extremely well. He just needed a place where he could go and he could play. He wasn’t gonna get the minutes there and I am sure the Lakers would love to have him.” They sold Pippen Jr. thinking D’Lo could help them move forward. It’s far been the case and Russell’s already faced his first drop to the bench- not a good sign.

Significantly, D’Angelo Russell averages just 12.5 points this season compared to 18.0 points last season. He has not drained enough shots and shoots with a mere 40% accuracy from the field. The Lakers could have used Scotty Pippen Jr. to get some points on the board. With no particular role players to come from the bench, Shannon Sharpe also understands why they decided to sell him.

“When you have LeBron who needs the ball, you’re gonna have Austin Reaves on the point, and I think they had him before. Maybe they had D’Lo, also. That was just too many guys handling point. So he wasn’t going to get an opportunity to handle the ball.” Well, Scotty certainly handled the ball when he met the Lakers, snatching it from King James‘ grip. A moment to cherish for the young gun.

Memphis Grizzlies get Scotty Pippen Jr. to play great basketball after Lakers 6-game stint

The point guard signed a 4-year, $9 million contract with the Grizzlies, who have high hopes for the future. At just 24 years old, Scotty still has a long journey ahead of him to enhance his skills and potentially follow in his legendary father’s footsteps. Right now, the hoopster averages 12.3 points and gets around 26 minutes compared to the 5.3 minutes he got from the LA side. Moreover, he also ranks a career-high in rebounds and assists with 4.1 and 6.2, respectively. Scotty is seriously making a name for himself.

“Last year at this time, I was in the G League, just trying to get a spot in the NBA. And to be here, less than a year later, in the rotation, coming off the bench early and playing well, this definitely is a surreal moment for me,” Pippen Jr. said according to CBS Sports.

Recently, Scotty scored a triple-double in their victory against the Washington Wizards, fetching 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. Amidst the LeBron-Bronny hype, the Pippens became the FIRST father-son duo in NBA history to record triple-doubles, after Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes and his son Danny. It’s certainly a remarkable feat. Pippen Jr. keeps growing. Long may it continue!