Will Jake LaRavia be the Grizzlies' next sophomore leap?

The Memphis Grizzlies have seen sophomore success in this 'GrzNxtGen' era. Could Jake LaRavia be next?

Nearly every season of this iteration of Memphis Grizzlies basketball, there’s been a sophomore leap. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane experienced more prominent surges from fascinating rookie prospect to borderline All-Star over the span of 2 seasons. De’Anthony Melton, Grayson Allen, and recently Santi Aldama grew as legitimate rotation players, after looking like “fringe NBA guys” in their rookie season.

The Grizzlies have 4 sophomores on the the team, so the question begs — who’s next.

It could very well be Jake LaRavia. It’s easy to pinpoint LaRavia as the “sophomore leap” due to Santi Aldama’s performance last season — oft-used rookie that spends more time in the G League then improves and solidifies a rotation role the next year.

LaRavia played solid basketball to start the season, but he was injured at a juncture where Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ziaire Williams were returning. He couldn’t rediscover a rhythm on the main roster, as sporadic playing time and injuries led to inconsistent minutes.

Without a rotation role though, LaRavia played with the Memphis Hustle in the G League, leaning into more aggressive scoring responsibilities to have him ready to let it fly from 3.

Zach Kleiman proclaimed to the media at the team’s exit interviews that Jake LaRavia was going to surprise people next season, and Desmond Bane echoed a similar sentiment regarding a leap.

So again, easy to pinpoint Jake LaRavia as the Grizzlies’ next sophomore leap, especially considering his Summer League performance too. He led the team in scoring, answering the call from the coaching staff to be more assertive hunting his shot — while also setting a personal side quest to attempt a poster dunk anyone near the rim. He fired 8.8 three’s per game, showcasing a willingness to let it fly when he saw a shot he liked.

And that mentality is what the Grizzlies need from him.

Yes, LaRavia only connected on 32.3% of his 3’s in Summer League, a less than ideal mark. Sample size is a component of it, and the variety of jumpers should be consideration as well. His role won’t comprise of that many shots, or attempts with that much movement. However, it enforces the idea of letting it fly nearly unconsciously when the ball swings his way, as there’s been a push for him to show off his shooting touch.

Nonetheless, LaRavia possesses the most shooting upside on this team — aside from Desmond Bane and Luke Kennard — and his shot relocation is an asset alongside the Grizzlies’ ball-handlers. His shooting stroke and his performance in Summer League enforces it, as he drilled 4 or more 3’s in 3 of the 6 summertime outings. It makes sense why the Grizzlies want to tap into his outside shooting more.

Shooting confidence and accuracy will get LaRavia on the floor, and it’ll allow them the opportunity to showcase the rest of his skillset.

Jake LaRavia is a “dribble, pass, shoot” offensive player the Grizzlies covet. When scoring inside the arc, he doesn’t possess the ideal burst or handle to break down defenders. However, he’s a quick decision-maker and deft off-ball mover that finds angles and windows to attack spottiness within the defense, whether it’s driving off cuts or handoff’s. Last season on the main roster, he converted on 62.5% (20/32) of his 2’s.

LaRavia doesn’t have eye-popping assist numbers, averaging 2.6 assists per game with the G League last season. It doesn’t fully capture his playmaking ability. He’s a quick processor that makes his reads and dishes to serve as a connector within the system. It’s a skill that should bode well for him when attacking closeouts or getting downhill off handoffs.

On the other side of the ball, LaRavia doesn’t fit the “defensive stopper” archetype at the point of attack given his lateral quickness defending in space. He does generate defensive events though, a staple for the Grizzlies system. Coming into the draft, he was a sneaky good defender, possessing a block rate and steal rate of 2.5 in his final season at Wake Forest. He stays active defensively — mucking up drives with his help defense and his quick hands.

He flashed this skill in the early portion of last season, and it’s his primary avenue for impacting the game defensively.

With all this being said, LaRavia has his areas of improvement. A downside of his quick hands defensively is getting himself into foul trouble, sporting a foul percentage of 4.7 (13th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass). His event creation should bode well for his impact defensively, but with the emphasis for more switching, I want to see how he fares within that scheme.

Offensively, LaRavia won’t be tasked with on-ball creation enough to really harp on his wiggle. It’s more about shooting consistency and confidence. Steady playing time should help him find a rhythm from beyond the arc. In non garbage time last season, he made 40% of his 3’s (per Cleaning the Glass), and he shot 35.3% from 3 overall with the Hustle (on roughly 7 three’s attempted per game, per Synergy Sports). If he can hover around the 40% range from 3, with steady volume, he should carve a role in the rotation.

Jake LaRavia’s pathway into significant minutes will be tied to his outside shooting, which would give him the avenue to showcase that he’s more than a shooter. There’s also playing time on the wing— and maybe even a temporary (25-game) starting spot — up for grabs. The opportunities and stakes at the beginning of the season could help LaRavia be the next Grizzlies’ prospect to take a sophomore leap to become a bonafide NBA rotation player.

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