In his first several NBA Summer League games, Los Angeles Lakers undrafted rookie Scotty Pippen Jr. was a mixed bag.
He was turnover-prone while struggling to consistently make plays for his teammates and hit from the outside, although at times he looked adept at attacking the basket and finishing.
A couple of those issues were still evident on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets, but at the same time, he showed improvement in his ability to make plays for others and hit the open man.
Pippen finished just 4-of-15 from the field and 0-of-3 from 3-point land, but he had seven assists against five turnovers.
He started the game by running a pick-and-roll with Sacha Killeya-Jones, then finding him for an alley-oop dunk.
Sacha Killeya-Jones gets the @Lakers started off a lob from Scotty Pippen. Jr! pic.twitter.com/rp3xaquOTf
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2022
In the first quarter, he made a nice read in transition off a steal, immediately finding Shareef O’Neal for a breakaway jam.
SCOTTY PIPPEN JR.'S STEAL ➡️ SHAREEF O'NEAL 🔨 pic.twitter.com/FFOyTRWrFC
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 11, 2022
Pippen also continued to show nice defensive instincts and quick hands by registering three steals. He turned one of those steals into a nice lead pass to Mason Jones for a fastbreak layup.
Scotty Pippen Jr steals the ball from behind and then feeds Mason Jones up-court for the easy bucket. pic.twitter.com/JjuaKmYo10
— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) July 11, 2022
Pippen also made some nice reads in the halfcourt, as he found Cole Swider for an open 3-pointer in the third quarter.
Love this pass from Scotty Pippen Jr. to find Cole Swider off the ATO set. I have no reservations that SPJ *can* playmake; it’s more so a matter of can he deliver accurately and on time. He did so here. pic.twitter.com/bKCRp7jndG
— Shervon Fakhimi (@ShervonFakhimi) July 11, 2022
Earlier, there was this assist off dribble penetration that led to an open dunk.
The drive & dime.
Scotty Pippen Jr. can ball 💯 pic.twitter.com/jAsD2yGVgm
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2022
Consistency in terms of playmaking while limiting turnovers will be a huge key for Pippen when it comes to his chances of making a big-league roster, as will hitting enough 3-pointers to keep defenses honest so he can penetrate and attack.
