Jake LaRavia is ready to become part of the Grizzlies' regular rotation

It is natural for the fans to gravitate towards the star players with the Memphis Grizzlies. Most people would point to Ja Morant and Desmond Bane as the team's stars, but they are not alone.

They have a superb supporting cast filled with underrated players. One of those promising talents is third-year forward Jake LaRavia, who is ready to show what he is capable of in the 2024-25 NBA season.

“When we think about Jake, he’s had a lot of momentum, he leaned in on a great routine coming out of the All-Star break. He competed through some nicks and bruises, but played really well on both sides of the floor,” Coach Jenkins said about LaRavia. “I think he displayed a lot of great things that carries into the momentum of the off-season work.”

LaRavia had a great Summer League run

The Grizzlies performed well in the 2024 Las Vegas Summer League. They went unbeaten for most of the tournament, advancing into the Finals against the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, Memphis lost the Finals, but they did their best to catch up.

Jake was one of the standout performers for Memphis, averaging 17.5 points and 2.8 steals per game. He won’t be the same scorer in the regular season as in the Summer League, but he will bring the hustle and energy he has already displayed.

That impressed the Grizzlies coaching staff because LaRavia can go out there and help the team. He will not be the star player who scores 20+ points a game, but he is ready to work hard and support the team in any way he can. So far, he has shown a willingness to improve his perimeter shooting, and his hustle for the ball speaks for itself.

How LaRavia figures into the rotation

It will be interesting to see how Coach Taylor Jenkins deploys LaRavia in the rotation. He is a power forward by trade, but he can play either forward position. With his skill set, he is a good fit alongside players like Ja Morant and Desmond Bane because they can stretch the floor, while Jake plays all over the floor with his energetic style.

The former Wake Forest standout only played 35 games in the 2023/24 season, and he wants to change that in the upcoming 2024/25 campaign. The Grizzlies are ready to surprise the rest of the NBA by redeeming themselves from their injury-riddled campaign from the previous year.

LaRavia will probably play behind Jaren Jackson Jr. in the power forward position but has some competition, with Santi Aldama having a similar breakout and Vince Williams Jr. playing an undersized power forward role. It is all in Jenkins and his coaching staff’s hands about how the rotation plays out, but he should know that Jake is ready to compete.

Related: ESPN releases surprising win-loss projection for Memphis next season