Marcus Smart

Pippen Jr. stepped up last season when Ja Morant and Marcus Smart were sidelined, and he has been even better this summer. There won't be as much fantasy upside with the rest of the team healthy, but he should be a vital bench piece for Memphis this upcoming season. Most of his fantasy production will come as a streaming option when there are injuries in front of him, though he may be able to make enough of an impact off the bench to provide value in deeper leagues.

Pippen has played well throughout the summer and was at his best during the crunch time of Wednesday's game. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter as Memphis avoided blowing a double-digit lead completely. Pippen's goal is to show that he deserves to be a backup with the Grizzlies, and he's played very well in Las Vegas (and Salt Lake City before that). However, that may not be enough to make Pippen a viable fantasy option, as the Grizzlies will have Ja Morant and Marcus Smart in the lineup.

Pippen continues to play well on both ends of the floor for the Grizzlies' summer league team. In addition to doing an excellent job of setting up his teammates, the two-way contract guard has also been a pest defensively, consistently picking up for 94 feet. With Ja Morant and Marcus Smart returning after injury-riddled 2023-24 seasons, Pippen's minutes will take a significant hit. However, his willingness to do what teams require of backup point guards will give him opportunities to contribute.

Pippen didn't play as well as he did in their first game of this summer, but he was able to provide a well-rounded stat line that will make him worth keeping an eye on. He won't see as many minutes this upcoming season with Ja Morant and Marcus Smart healthy, but he will be a solid backup point guard for them. If he ends up playing extended minutes at some point due to injuries, he will be an intriguing streaming option.

Pippen may not have led his team to the win on Monday, but the Grizzlies had to be pleased with his overall performance. The point guard was efficient offensively, finishing at a solid clip while also setting up his teammates for quality looks. Due to the Grizzlies being hit hard by the injury bug, Pippen played far more last season than anyone expected him to. With Ja Morant and Marcus Smart healthy again, Pippen's chances of cracking the opening night rotation are slim. However, he is on a two-way contract, which gives Pippen a little more security than last season.