Has Scotty Pippen Jr. finally begun to live up to his father’s reputation? His recent performances suggest he is on the right track. Pippen Jr. had been struggling with an injury for a month after signing with the Memphis Grizzlies in January but came back with a bang. His recent career-best performance against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, prompted his mother to highlight the stats from his last five games.

In January, an MRI revealed that the young guard had a bulging disc in his lower back. Pippen Jr. missed 12 games in that period but he has put those injury issues behind him and had an amazing run to close out the season with the Grizzlies. While the Lakers scraped through a 123-120 win on Friday, they didn’t have too many answers for Larsa and Scottie Pippen’s son.

The RHOM star reshared Klutch Sports Group’s story detailing Pippen Jr.’s performance, where he had 28 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. The post also highlighted Pippen Jr.s amazing stats since his return. He followed a 16-point effort against Detroit on April 5, with a stunning 24-point haul against Philadelphia the next day, and has continued to impress since.

The post highlighting Pippen’s scoring prowess was first shared by Klutch Sports Group, run by LeBron’s close friend Rich Paul. Klutch Sports Group has been representing Pippen Jr. since the Draft Combine in 2022. 

During the NBA Draft Combine in May 2022, the former Vanderbilt guard impressed a lot of scouts present at the event. Pippen Jr. showed his skills at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, which was not far from where his father, Scottie Pippen, had an incredible career with the Chicago Bulls. According to sports editor Bryce Smith, Pippen Jr. impressed in both of his scrimmage opportunities.

After the Combine, Pippen Jr. signed a deal with Klutch Sports Group. This was followed by a move to the LA Lakers for the 2022-23 season, but he featured for only six games and averaged  2.3 points and 5.3 minutes. Pippen Jr. then turned to the NBA G League’s South Bay Lakers, where he averaged 18.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.8 steals in five games.

His agent, Erika Ruiz, played a major role in getting the second-generation basketball star a two-year two-way contract with Memphis earlier this year. Grizzlies, ravaged by injuries, will be happy for what Pippen has provided thus far. His performance against the Lakers also drew the attention of Lakers great, James Worthy.

Speaking on FreeDawkins after the Grizzlies-Lakers game, Worthy said, “You see Scotty Pippen Jr. getting an opportunity and all these other guys that we don’t know of. Those are tough games to play, but you’ve got to take care of business early.

Pippen Jr. was handed a lifeline by the Grizzlies and hasn’t he made full use of it?

Scotty Pippen Jr. making waves in the NBA with his parents backing him

This story was not the first time Larsa Pippen has hyped up her son’s performance. After his first game back from his injury, she shared the story on her Instagram to support her son. Meanwhile, Scottie Pippen was in the audience when his son rose for a thunderous dunk on the same night. As he saw his son jam it down with authority, he looked pleased.

Before his injury, in the 9 games for the Grizzlies, Scotty Pippen Jr. was averaging 10.3 points, 5.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. The statistics proved his mettle and the reason he signed with the world-renowned agency. But things got better when he got back to the court. In 11 games so far, the 23-year-old has averaged 14.8 points and 4.2 assists per game. Moreover, his career-best night against the Lakers put the deserved spotlight on him.

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While he wasn’t given a proper chance in the City of Angels, the Grizzlies’ injury crisis helped him showcase his ability. In fact, in the game against the Lakers, Memphis had 13 first-team players out. So these last few games have become like a tryout for these young stars. Pippen Jr’s performances, though, merit a spot on the rotation next season. And his mother will likely be the happiest if that happens.