Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Over the last two seasons, Scotty Pippen Jr. has established himself as an impactful NBA player. Ever since leaving the Lakers after his rookie year, he has been a staple rotation point guard in the Grizzlies’ robust depth chart. Pippen Jr. talked …
Over the last two seasons, Scotty Pippen Jr. has established himself as an impactful NBA player. Ever since leaving the Lakers after his rookie year, he has been a staple rotation point guard in the Grizzlies’ robust depth chart.
Pippen Jr. talked with HoopsHype after a game vs. the Clippers about his mindset with Ja Morant in and out of the lineup, advice he’s gotten from him, growing up behind the shadows of his father, and more.
Jake LaRavia does all of the little things that impact winning. Even if they don’t show up in the box score.
NEW YORK — The Memphis Grizzlies are running out of time on a decision they may have assumed was no longer a priority: What should they do with Jake LaRavia?
Now in his third year with the franchise — and set to hit unrestricted free agency at its conclusion — LaRavia is healthier and having by far his best campaign yet. He hired a chef to improve his diet, he is spending more time in the weight room, doing more yoga, and he feels limber. It’s everything Memphis believed possible for LaRavia when it acquired his draft rights and made him a first-round pick in 2022.
By November 2024, though, the Grizzlies were seemingly ready to give up on him ever reaching these heights. Following two injury-plagued years to start his career, Memphis already made the first move in determining LaRavia’s fate by declining his fourth-year team option. Initial reporting, however, suggested the front office remained interested in working on a new deal for LaRavia this offseason.
Now all 30 teams will have an equal opportunity to sign the 6-foot-7, 23-year-old forward shooting 44.4 percent on his 3-pointers, meaning a new contract could cost more than expected. All the while, LaRavia developed into an ideal fit for the exact style of basketball that has the Grizzlies fighting atop the Western Conference this season.
This comes back to the question Memphis can no longer avoid: Should the Grizzlies keep giving valuable rotation minutes to LaRavia, knowing that he has played a legitimate role in the team’s success despite his lack of a long-term contract? Or should Memphis make LaRavia expendable before Thursday’s trade deadline and thus offer even more minutes to a player like G.G. Jackson, a more natural scorer?
Jackson, 20, might need a bit more time developing before he can impact games like LaRavia. But he still has multiple years left on his contract. It might seem like an easy decision looking at their box scores. In the Memphis locker room, however, LaRavia’s true value has never been more apparent.
“Some stuff might not even be in the stat sheet,” Grizzlies star Ja Morant told For The Win about LaRavia. “But it leads to winning.”
When Jake LaRavia was selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft, it was immediately obvious how the Grizzlies intended to use him.
Memphis was acquiring players who could complement Morant by providing other ways of impacting winning that did not necessarily involve scoring. The versatility LaRavia showed in college at Wake Forest and Indiana State made him an instantly attractive prospect.
Then the injuries cropped up. A back issue during his rookie season, then an ailing ankle as a sophomore, left LaRavia with fewer chances to prove himself. LaRavia is now earning those minutes back on the court for Memphis in a big way.
“For the most part, when I’m out on the court, my main goal is to do all the little things: The dirty work, the 50-50 balls, the one-more passes,” LaRavia said. “Just making the right play pretty much every time.”
The analytics back this up, too. LaRavia is averaging 3.6 deflections per 36 minutes (third-best on the team) along with a team-high 0.8 defensive loose balls recovered per 36 minutes, helping create momentum and advantages — or “winning plays” in the words of teammate Scotty Pippen Jr.
These things matter considerably for a team that is looking to make a postseason run.
“He is an active body,” Memphis forward Santi Aldama said. “That is a point of growth for him, and that is why he has been so successful.”
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins tends to favor using a deeper rotation. So for now, there is enough playing time to go around for almost everyone.
“[LaRavia] has just taken off since the start of the season with his opportunity [of us] playing 10 guys, playing 11 guys,” Jenkins explained. “His net rating, his impact, it’s been really good for us and something we’ve leaned on a lot, especially in those bench units.”
Among the three-man lineups that have logged at least 160 minutes together so far this season, one involving LaRavia is tied for having the best overall net rating in the league. Memphis has outscored its opponents by 27.0 points per 100 possessions when he has appeared alongside Aldama and Luke Kennard.
“We want to keep killing the team,” Aldama said. “Make sure they don’t score. Run as fast as possible for 48 minutes. Teams are not willing to not do that normally.”
This is all part of the plan and identity for the Grizzlies, a team that moves around a ton and stays running as often as possible. They lead the league in pace (by a wide margin) as well as distance traveled and average speed both offensively and defensively.
LaRavia’s buy-in of this philosophy has especially caught the attention of teammate Desmond Bane. While admiring LaRavia’s defensive abilities and rebounding, Bane noted that “running the floor” is a major source of LaRavia’s positive impact.
“I wouldn’t consider myself fast in short distances,” LaRavia said. “But I’m hustling. I’m playing hard every time I’m on the court. I’m not really taking plays off. If there is a fastbreak opportunity for the other team, some guys might get out of the way. I’m sprinting back to try to make a play on the ball. Whenever I’m off the ball, I’m sprinting.”
LaRavia isn’t just running hard relative to his other Memphis teammates. Among all NBA players with at least 900 minutes played this season, he leads the entire league in average speed (5.10 miles per hour) while on offense.
He has also increased his paint touches from 1.5 per 36 minutes as a rookie all the way up to 3.6 so far this season. Once he is near the rim, he has shown an ability to finish plays efficiently, which Jenkins appreciates.
LaRavia is currently 17-of-20 (85.0 percent) when cutting to the basket, which has helped earn him the trust of his teammates.
“He is one of the guys who, when we thought about adopting a new offensive philosophy, [we thought] he was going to thrive because he’s got great cutting awareness and offensive rebounding,” Jenkins said.
Perhaps most noticeable are the strides that LaRavia has made as a playmaker. He has increased his passes made per 36 minutes from 32.3 as a rookie and 35.4 as a second-year player to 50.6 this season. He has also increased his potential assists per 36 minutes from 3.9 as a rookie and then 4.5 during his second professional campaign to 7.4 in 2024-25.
LaRavia describes this as nothing more than knowing when to play unselfish basketball — making the right play, committing to making the extra pass — and knowing when to go after his own opportunities.
“I think his playmaking has taken a step up, the way he is able to find others,” Pippen explained. “I feel like his overall game is helping us a lot and his ability to stay aggressive while also finding others.”
Likewise, Brandon Clarke praised LaRavia’s passing and IQ. Jenkins, too, has taken note of the overall progress from LaRavia and feels he is a good fit in the new-look Memphis offense. And the advanced metrics behind those wins continue to spotlight LaRavia’s play.
Among all players who have logged at least 800 minutes both this season and last season, his year-over-year improvement in Box Plus-Minus (BPM) ranks fifth-best in the NBA, trailing only those like Most Improved Player candidate Norman Powell. Among all players who have not started a game, LaRavia currently ranks second-best in Win Shares (2.7), behind only Sixth Man of the Year favorite Payton Pritchard.
“He’s just been locked in,” Bane said. “He’s been continuing to grow. His process is continuing to get better. He has a good process and a lot of work and the confidence comes from that. He’s been playing well and it’s a big addition for us.”
Eventually, though, this may all reach a tipping point. The looming trade deadline could make the Grizzlies force their hand and try to return some value for LaRavia if they feel they are not able to re-sign him to a new contract this summer.
Would he provide similar value to a team that plays a different style from Memphis? Any contender could certainly use someone who doesn’t need the ball and provides hustle plays off the bench. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see LaRavia included in a larger deal if Memphis is able to take a big swing.
Until then, there is a lot to appreciate about what he has finally provided this season. LaRavia is appreciating the ride, too, and has kept his goals fairly simple no matter what happens.
“At the end of the day, I want to compete and play for a team that competes,” LaRavia emphasized. “Be healthy. Be in the rotation for as long as I can for whatever team that is competing for a championship every year.”
Meanwhile, In Memphis, the clock continues ticking. Both on the Grizzlies’ championship window and LaRavia’s place in it.
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The 2025 NBA All-Star Game will not have LaMelo Ball and Luka Doncic.
We already knew the 10 starters who will appear in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. But now we know the reserves who will join them as well.
Those who were snubbed from making an appearance in the starting lineup (which was chosen by fans, media, and players) had a chance to represent their conferences in San Francisco by earning a selection from NBA coaches.
Some deserving players including Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cade Cunningham, and Evan Mobley all got some love.
Unfortunately for the following players, however, these players did not get the nod. They could still get a call as alternates, however, if they are chosen by the commissioner should one or more player get hurt before the NBA All-Star Game on February 16.
Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball is the biggest surprise considering he led fan voting among players at his position in the East and he finished third among player voting. He had a much stronger voting from fans than media, though.
Meanwhile, Dallas star Luka Doncic finished third among fans among West guards and fourth among media members. His teammate, Kyrie Irving, was fourth among players and fourth among fans.
Here are the most notable snubs, sorted based on voting results:
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Call me a hater if you want. But this shouldn’t count.
This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news this morning, but a lot of people are hyping up Ja Morant’s “dunk” on Victor Wembanyama from Wednesday night.
And, look, the reason why is obvious. It’s Wemby! The dude is 10-foot-2 (not really but whatever). He’s super tall. Morant is tall to regular people, but kind of short by NBA standards at 6-foot-1.
Being able to pull this off is insane.
This will undoubtedly become a poster on some kid’s wall somewhere. So, by the letter of the law, I guess this would be considered a poster dunk. But I don’t think it should count!
PUT IT IN THE LOUVRE: Take away the context and Charles Curtis says this is art.
The “dunk,”if we’re calling it that, happened well after the whistle. The officials blow the whistle here. Look how far away from the rim he is!
Everyone stops but Ja. He made up his mind that he was dunking on Big Vic right there, no matter what happens next. Meanwhile, Wemby isn’t even fully in position. He slows on his rotation because of the whistle and then gives a half-hearted contest once Morant is in the air and jumping into his chest.
It’s still an impressive athletic feat — don’t get me wrong! Nearly jumping over a 7-foot-4 dude (his actual height) is something that .0001 percent of the population can do. You want to hype that up? Fine.
But this is the equivalent of punching someone in the boxing ring a full three seconds after the bell rings. The other boxer isn’t even thinking about defending himself — the round is over! The whistle blew. Wemby didn’t get a fair shot here.
This isn’t to say that Morant wouldn’t have dunked on Wemby either way. I think this makes it evident that he could’ve. Zach Edey also got the Spurs big man earlier in the night. Despite Wembanyama’s eight blocks in the game, he’s not infallible.
All I’m saying is that I’d rather wait until the real thing happens to hype this moment up.
Call me a hater. Call me the villain. Call me whatever you want. But this doesn’t count in my book.
Goaltending calls are always some of the hardest to make in basketball. They happen in a split second and are literally determined by inches.
With that said, this goaltend that went uncalled in the Mavs-Pelicans game on Wednesday night is just so egregiously bad. How do you miss this one?
This would’ve given Dallas a one-point lead with two seconds left in the game. There’s a strong chance that bucket would’ve won it. And it’s a win Dallas desperately needed, too — the Mavs are just two games away from being the No. 12 seed in the West.
No-calls happen. The league still moves forward. Dallas will get over it. But, MAN, this one was bad.
Shoutout to the Pelicans for grabbing another win, though. May the stealth tank live on.
CAPTURE THE FLAGG: The Pels should trade Zion and do their best to get Cooper Flagg
Unrivaled might throw a little wrench in the plans of some WNBA teams moving forward.
You know how NBA stars have traditionally used their time at the Olympics to recruit other NBA stars to their teams? Sue Bird thinks the new Unrivaled League will present the same opportunity for some of the WNBA’s best talent. She talked about it on her A Touch More podcast. Meg Hall has more on that here.
“Oh my God. There’s going to be so many superteams formed in Unrivaled. The WNBA free agency chatter that must be happening—in the training room, when they’re out shopping, when they’re getting some coffee—has gotta be next level,” Bird said.
I see where she’s going with this! Unrivaled does allow stars to recruit and play with (and against!) their peers in high-level competition. There will certainly be some bonds formed over these next few weeks.
The superteam theory is interesting. I’d argue the WNBA already has a few superteams when you look at the Liberty or the Aces or the Connecticut Sun. I guess there’s always room for more, though!
Can’t wait to watch this unfold.
— Caleb Williams just jinxed the Bears’ coaching search. Robert Zeglinski has more here.
— Bryan Kalbrosky just dropped his latest NBA mock draft. My Wizards are sitting pretty, y’all.
— Ohio State mysteriously dismissed Caden Davis before the national title game. Charles Curtis has more on this.
— RIP to TikTok (maybe). We’ll miss you (if it really does get banned). This fake funeral program is hilarious. Meg Hall has more.
— The Nintendo Switch 2! Charles Curtis has everything we know about the announcement so far.
— Here are our straight-up picks for the NFL Playoff action this weekend. Enjoy.
That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you. Have a fantastic Thursday. Peace.
-Sykes 
The dunk from the Memphis Grizzlies superstar over Victor Wembanyama in the San Antonio Spurs’ loss was filthy even if it didn’t count.
Yes, Ja Morant dunked all over Hector Banana-Bread — er, Victor Wembanyama after the whistle on Wednesday night in the Memphis Grizzlies’ win over the San Antonio Spurs.
But no matter. This was sick. This was ridiculous. I’m counting it as a thing simply because both players participated in the posterization, including Wemby, who gave it his all trying to stuff Morant.
MORE WEMBY: He and Chris Paul did the nicest thing for JJ Redick’s sons
Nope. Didn’t work. Morant threw it down. And the photo of the posterization, which you can see above, is so perfect. It’s snapped by USA TODAY Sports’ Scott Wachter.
I’ve also included another view via Getty Images’ Ronald Cortes, and please: someone go hang in these in a museum or something.
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Duke basketball freshman Isaiah Evans exploded in the first half against Auburn, and one All-NBA star let him know he was watching.
[autotag]Isaiah Evans[/autotag], a five-star freshman on the Duke men’s basketball team, played the best 11 minutes of his collegiate career thus far on Wednesday night.
Evans subbed in against the Auburn Tigers with 12:40 left to play in the opening half of the midweek battle, and he knocked down four 3-pointers in the next six minutes to drag the Blue Devils back into the game.
Auburn entered the game with an undefeated 7-0 record, and the Tigers opened the game with a 13-2 run. By the time Evans knocked down his fourth triple, the Blue Devils led by two points.
Evans made two more 3-pointers before the break, giving him 18 first-half points on nothing but daggers. It’s hard for any first-year Blue Devil to steal the spotlight from superstar teammate [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], but the North Carolina native did exactly that on national television, and one of the NBA’s biggest stars certainly noticed.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Ja Morant, a two-time All-Star and former All-NBA Second Team member at just 25 years old, shouted Evans out on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) my posting his name with some exclamation points during the opening run.
Evans is now averaging 9.4 points and shooting 50.0% from 3-point range in five appearances this season.
Ziaire Williams, the Brooklyn Nets’ newly acquired wing, has shown glimpses of his potential as he navigates his early years in the NBA. Standing at 6-foot-9, Williams’ combination of length, versatility, and athleticism positions him as a …
Ziaire Williams, the Brooklyn Nets’ newly acquired wing, has shown glimpses of his potential as he navigates his early years in the NBA. Standing at 6-foot-9, Williams’ combination of length, versatility, and athleticism positions him as a prospective piece that could become key for the Nets’ rebuilding efforts.
Williams began his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he appeared in 150 games through three seasons averaging 7.5 points and 2.6 rebounds. His best season was his rookie campaign, when Williams averaged 8.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 62 games in 2021-22.
In a chat with HoopsHype, on behalf of Herbalife, Williams opened up about his NBA journey, sharing how he’s focused on leveling up his game and looking forward to a fresh start in Brooklyn.
“Keep getting in the gym and keep building relationships with your teammates,” Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard says of his summer-league priorities.
Two games into the NBA’s 2024 summer league in Las Vegas, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard is already showing why he’s a vital piece of Houston’s new formula for returning to the postseason.
At the moment, Sheppard is averaging 22.5 points per game, which ties 2023 summer-league MVP Cam Whitmore for Houston’s lead.
In that case, he can not only help the team reach its short-term goal of winning a summer-league title, but he may also give head coach Ime Udoka a better feel for where he fits in the rotation.
Sheppard, the Rockets’ No. 3 overall selection in this year’s draft, is taking it all in — one day at a time. He knows that the process will take time, so as of now, he is just taking it slowly and getting acclimated to playing against the NBA-level competition.
“At the end of the day, it’s basketball,” Sheppard said after helping his team improve to 2-0 by defeating Washington. “You get to go and play the game you love with really good players and teammates, and I am super pumped to get out there and play the game I love.”
One promising sign is the chemistry that Sheppard and Whitmore have established. Throughout Sunday’s game, the former Kentucky standout found Whitmore slashing to the basket for multiple dunks that brought the crowd to their feet. That included regular-season teammates Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson, seated baseline.
“It’s very exciting playing with Reed,” Whitmore told reporters after the 18-point victory. “He can do everything, even on the defensive end. Even though he is not the tallest, he still has skills; he can get in the gaps and can get in the passing lane. He can finish, play-make, he can shoot. He can do everything on the floor.”
The rookie’s performance is not going unnoticed on social media, with esteemed NBA veterans like Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies among those acknowledging Sheppard’s game on their social media platforms. Even with that type of attention, Sheppard remains focused on improving.
“Keep getting in the gym and keep building relationships with your teammates,” Sheppard said when asked about that praise. “Just stick to yourself. Don’t try to be anyone else or anyone.”
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Grizzlies star Ja Morant and Hawks star Trae Young are among those taking notice of Reed Sheppard’s brilliant summer play for the Rockets.
Through two NBA summer-league games, rookie guard Reed Sheppard has been sensational for the Houston Rockets.
After being drafted at No. 3 in the 2024 first round in June, Sheppard is currently averaging 22.5 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks in 31.0 minutes per game — all while shooting better than 55% from the field and 45% on 3-pointers.
Most importantly, the numbers have contributed to winning for the Rockets, who are 2-0 with a pair of dominant 18-point victories.
Beyond earning praise from media members and fans, Sheppard also appears to be turning heads from players within the league.
Trae Young and Ja Morant — recent All-Star guards with the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies, respectively — addressed Sheppard’s play with social media posts on X during Sunday’s game.
Game recognize game
@TheTraeYoung & @JaMorant showing love to Reed Sheppard! pic.twitter.com/JdfgrtfMX6
— NBA (@NBA) July 15, 2024
Young posted: “Reed Sheppard nice, y’all!”
Morant then quoted Young’s post with multiple exclamation points.
Complete highlights of Sheppard’s latest showing are available below. As for the summer Rockets, they will look to continue their unbeaten run when they face the Detroit Pistons on Monday afternoon.
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Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard did a little bit of everything in their second #NBA2KSummerLeague game combining for 47 PTS & 10 STL leading the @HoustonRockets to victory!
Cam: 25 PTS | 8 REB | 4 AST | 5 STL | 60.0 FG%
Reed: 22 PTS | 6 REB | 7 AST | 5 STL | 60.0 FG% pic.twitter.com/Url2Ev8UyX— NBA (@NBA) July 15, 2024
Is Wisconsin on upset alert against James Madison?
The 12-seed vs. 5-seed matchup has emerged as one of the more interesting March Madness matchups since the tournament expanded in 1985.
There have been 12 upsets in No. 12 vs No. 5 games since 2014. The most recent arrived in 2022 when New Mexico State defeated UConn 70-63.
Wisconsin enters this year’s tournament as a No. 5 seed with a first-round matchup against James Madison. Although the Badgers are favored by 5.5 points, the history behind 12-5 matches in March Madness cannot be understated.
IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.
In 2019, the Badgers dropped their opening game of the tournament to No. 12 Oregon 72-54. The same year, future NBA All-Star Ja Morant dropped a triple-double for 12-seeded Murray State en route to a 83-64 victory over 5-seed Marquette.
Here is a quick overview of all the essentials you need to know for the iconic 12-5 matchup. It doesn’t mean great things for the Badgers.
Facts:
All-time seed-seed records: first round
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