NBA legend’s son shines at Summer League

The son of a basketball legend is proving he’s an NBA-caliber player during the Las Vegas Summer League. And it’s not Bronny James.

Scotty Pippen Jr. has been a terror on defense for the Memphis Grizzlies Summer League team. On Monday, he had five steals and was +21 in the Grizzlies' 108-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks. He also had 19 points and seven assists, regularly getting to the rim with some nifty dribble moves.

Pippen showed flashes of this ability in 21 games with the Grizzlies last season, starting 16 with Ja Morant sidelined. He scored in double figures in his final six games, including a 28-point effort against his old team, the Lakers. Los Angeles waived Pippen before last season in favor of two players they later released, churning multiple players through their two-way spots.

However, Pippen appears to be an NBA-level backup point guard thanks to his point-of-attack defense and ability to run an offense. Like the younger James, Pippen is significantly shorter than his famous father. The Hall of Fame dads are 6-foot-8, while the sons measured 6-foot-1 1/2 at the draft combine.

Perhaps that's encouraging for Bronny James, who profiles as a future point guard. It took Pippen a year and a half to catch on before he signed his current two-year two-way deal with the Grizzlies. James has a four-year NBA deal with the Lakers, so he has some time to figure out how to make an impact.

James' ceiling may be higher, but the younger Pippen is the player who can make an impact in the NBA right now.