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.
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Scotty Pippen Jr: I feel like yes, I’m about to be a little bit more aggressive, but I just feel like every game I kind of approach it the same way. Whatever the team needs in me, I try to do it. So, Ja’s not out there, I know we’re missing a piece, so I try to not just fulfill that piece, but I try to do all I can just to help the team win.
SP: I’ll just say, whenever I’m on the card, I try to play hard. If the shots come to me, I’m always trying to be aggressive. So even when Ja’s playing, I kind of play the same way.
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
SP: Yeah, he’s giving me a lot of advice. Even when we’re playing together, he’s always giving me tips and stuff. And a lot of seeing him watching him play, I feel like I pick up on a lot of stuff that I’ve taken part of my game.
SP: Just the way he’s in the ball screen, the way he’s in maneuvers and stuff, the way he pass the ball, I try to take some stuff from that.
David Gonzales-Imagn Images
SP: Whoever, we have a deep team, so whoever’s out there with me, I try to just maximize. I feel like we have a bunch of players that are different. Jaren [Jackson Jr] and Jay Huff, they might pop more. Zach [Edey] rolls a lot, so I feel like everyone’s kind of different, so I’m just kind of knowing who you’re out there with and trying to maximize yourself as well.
Matthew Smith-Imagn Images
SP: I’m just continuing to keep coming in and playing hard. Whether that be picking up defensively, being disruptive full-court, pushing the pace on offense. My role has changed a lot this year, starting, coming off the bench, and out of the rotation, so I was always being ready. I was just going out there playing hard.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
SP: I think it’s kind of like whatever. He’s been to a lot of games at this point. It’s cool just to see like finally I’m at this level. Him being able to come to my game and support me, whether it be LA, whether it be Memphis or somewhere on the road. But at this point, I’m kind of just used to it.
SP: I just feel like he sees the game might be a little bit different than most parents who see it, and I just always have like the tool that he can just give me feedback after all games. So just having him is just a great resource that I’m able to use.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
SP: No, I don’t think so. I feel like I felt more pressure when I was in high school, like younger, just because people only associated me as being his son, but I feel like I’m kind of carving my own path.
