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The anticipated summer of Jake hit liftoff in just the second game of summer league.
Second-year wing Jake LaRavia may have been the player with the most intrigue heading into July. His rookie season was mostly dismissed by injuries and a lack of opportunity. His G-League statistics suggested promise.
Wednesday night’s 25-point effort in a 94-86 Salt Lake City Summer League win over the Oklahoma City Thunder was a treat for those who stuck with him.
LaRavia knocked down four 3-pointers along the way. The box score alone does not reflect how well he played.
It was his movement off the ball that sprung LaRavia free for open shots. That was a fantastic sign, in part because it is the single most important tool he will need to be consistent offensively at the NBA level.
Nearly all of his baskets were assisted in different ways.
Twice LaRavia used a screen at the top of the key to quickly hoist a wing 3-pointer on the first pass of the possession. Twice he used dribble-handoff actions to get a layup and pop out for another triple.
LaRavia even scored three times on traditional post-ups on the block against smaller defenders, spinning over both shoulders. With a chance to put the game away, he slashed through the lane after a Thunder turnover for the score that put the lead back to double digits.
This was the ‘feel for the game’ the Grizzlies identified during the scouting process. It didn’t always flash at the NBA level during his rookie season.
The Grizzlies want LaRavia to let the shots fly. Seven times he played more than 20 minutes last season and just once did he hit double-digit shot attempts.
That was a long way from the style he played at the G League level, where he hoisted 13.6 field goal attempts in a tick over 29 minutes per game. When opportunity rises, often so does aggression.
But the Grizzlies don’t need LaRavia to be a flamethrower like he was Wednesday night. They just need him to be a threat when the defense tries to take away the paint.
This summer is a perfect opportunity for LaRavia to get comfortable doing that.
Kenneth Lofton Jr.’s willingness and ability
The other Memphis summer league headliner was Kenneth Lofton Jr., who opposite of LaRavia played really well Monday but not so much Wednesday.
There is no question Lofton is both unique and talented. He just needs to polish all of the skills that he already possesses.
The big man makes big plays, in part because he is willing to take all of the chances his teammates will give him. It can make him the star of the show or get him in trouble.
On Wednesday, Lofton had a swipe-and-dunk and a late dish to a slashing LaRavia that helped win the game.
He also backed the ball over half court into a trap which forced a timeout, and threw a laser off the backboard to avoid a 3-second call that resulted in a turnover.
You can take the good with the mistakes, especially with a young player still finding his way at the pro level. In fact, his willingness to make those mistakes and learn from them is a gift.
Remember when second-year Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas stepped up from a limited role and had three straight 40-point games last season?
Remember when Lofton dropped in 40-plus in the last regular-season game against Oklahoma City?
Thomas and Lofton are similar players, but not by body type, playing style or even position. They each have obvious offensive gifts and NBA-level talent, but their future will be dependent on fitting those talents into a winning team concept and building other skills to go around it.
Lofton appears to be on his way to doing so. Proving that starts at summer league.
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