Jake LaRavia is showcasing his skillset

Finally going through a healthy stretch of games, Jake LaRavia is finding his stride and showing that he's more than just a stand-still shooter for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Prior to the All-Star break, Jake LaRavia had not received as many opportunities as his counterpart 1st-round wings Ziaire Williams and David Roddy. Injuries limited him to just 536 minutes across the 1st season and a half of his career.

Since the All-Star break, LaRavia has already eclipsed his minutes total for the rest of his career, playing roughly 600 minutes in 22 games. In the process, he’s playing with a groove and comfort level that’s parlaying into production.

“I’m able to catch a certain kind of rhythm when you’re playing a lot of minutes in NBA games,” LaRavia said. “I feel like I’m at that point where I’m getting comfortable in the offense.”

Through this stretch, LaRavia has averaged 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 stocks (1.2 steals, 0.5 blocks) — with 37.0/35.7/81.1 shooting splits — in 27.3 minutes per game. In the process, he’s embracing challenges from the coaching staff that’s allowing him to showcase his entire skillset — something we haven’t seen much up through the earliest portions of his career.

“That’s the biggest thing that I’ve been challenging with aggressiveness on offense that’ll play to your offensive strengths,” Taylor Jenkins said of LaRavia. “But defense I want to see more one-on-one defense, blowing up screens, coming down and cracking down on guys, getting rebounds, coming up with 50-50 balls. That’s the stuff that we’re really pushing them towards.”

Focusing on defense first, with individual defense, LaRavia doesn’t have great lateral quickness, but he knows how to use his body. He’s far from a liability that can be hunted, because of his event generation, his calling card defensively. Among wings, he ranks in the 61st percentile in block percentage (0.8%) and in the 77th percentile in steal percentage (1.7%), per Cleaning the Glass.

LaRavia’s stock generation stems from his help defense. His positioning is solid off the ball, as he keeps himself within the distance of the play without totally leaving his man alone. His timing is sound as well, as he gets his hands on the ball with swiftness to create either turnovers or blocks.

Combining those elements with his 6’8” frame lays the foundation for him to be a defensive asset going forward.

Offensively, LaRavia is showing that he’s more than a stationary shooter — a connective forward capable of making quick decisions off the catch and touching the paint for either finishes, kicks to shooters, or trips to the free throw line.

“I feel like I was designated as a shooter when I first got here, but I think I got a lot more to my game. I’ve kind of been showing that — getting downhill, get to the free throw line, making plays, cutting off the ball, rebounding. I just think there’s a lot more to my game than being a “one-role” kind of guy.” - Jake LaRavia

What immediately pops off the page is how LaRavia is drawing free throw opportunities. 13.4% of his shot attempts have led to a shooting foul, which falls in the 94th percentile among wings, per Cleaning the Glass.

His aggressiveness shines with how he attacks the basket. He doesn’t shy away from contact getting downhill, and he can be rewarded with trips to the free throw line.

Embracing contact can come at a detriment though, as it sometimes hinders his finishing ability. He’s shooting 45% at the rim, per Synergy Sports. He doesn’t have the vertical pop to consistently finish over the top of his defenders. So when seeking too much contact, he can be caught in no-man’s land without a clear finishing window.

Nonetheless, it’s great to see LaRavia being decisive with the ball in his hands. He plays with 0.5-second decision-making to either drive, shoot, or pass upon the catch. He doesn’t overdo it when it comes to seeking an advantage, typically utilizing a jab step against the closing defender to clear a path downhill. When given a clear lane, he shields the defense well to finish at the rim.

“The more that he can touch the paint,” Jenkins said of LaRavia. “He got put in some tough spots, had some retreat dribbles, sprayed the ball out, but it was all predicated on go-and-catches and getting downhill. So, I’m really encouraged with that.”

LaRavia is showing more promise as a passer. His assist percentage has bumped from 7.6 to 10.8% (50th percentile), while his turnover percentage has dropped from 17.8 to 12.8% (32nd percentile). Turnovers will come, especially in this environment with shuffling rotations (and even players via 10-day contracts), but improved playmaking shows signs of the game slowing down for him.

In this sequence, LaRavia mapped the floor well off the rebound. He pressed the brakes to shift his dribble and fling an off-hand pass over to the opposite corner to Desmond Bane, who attacked the closeout to get an and-1.

While LaRavia isn’t just a stationary shooter, the confidence in his jumper has become more evident. Over the past 16 games, he’s shooting 39.1% from 3 on 5.8 attempts per game — while also making multiple 3’s in 10 of those outings.

LaRavia has crisp mechanics with his jumper. His misses usually come when he catches the ball from his side, or when he puts too much air on the ball — leading to higher variance on his shot. He’s improved with his footing with his jumper, especially in movement, initiating a small gather to make sure his feet are set.

While there is more to his game than just 3-point shooting, his trajectory as a shooter — whether it comes in stationary or movement situations — will dictate the extent of his role going forward. And over the past month, he’s showing promise as a shooting threat.

I have to highlight these absurd shots LaRavia has made, both off movement and off the dribble. Sustainable or not, you look for cool stuff at this stretch of the season, and LaRavia has had moments of crazy shot-making.

Jake LaRavia has been showcasing his entire skillset. He can attack the defense off the catch as a driver, passer, or shooter. He’s finding his way to the free throw line. He’s been crashing the glass on both sides of the floor, corralling an offensive rebound on 5.7% of missed shots (91st percentile among wings) — a key for the possession advantage without a true starting-level 5. He’s adding value as an event creator, using his size, physicality, and hands to be a disruptor that helps fuel transition offense with his defense.

While LaRavia’s skillset is more expansive than initially expected, his outside shooting will be his path to amplify his skillset and to do with larger, more consistent roles.

---

We’ll wait and see what transpires with Jake LaRavia over these next few months. However, there are truths to be unpacked through this stretch of play.

For starters, he’s finally catching a break — health-wise — to play and grow each game. That’s been the major key for LaRavia’s development thus far. And through his extended stretch of play, he’s building confidence, an area of his game that has grown dating back to last season with his run with the Memphis Hustle.

“There was a couple times in my rookie year I struggled, and just wasn’t playing the best up here. You go out in the G League, catch a rhythm down there, remind yourself that you do this, and you’re good at basketball. It just gives you confidence and created what I’m doing right now.” - LaRavia

Through the confidence boost, he’s showcasing his real skillset. He’s not a standstill shooter; he’s a connective wing capable of making quick decisions on both sides of the ball.

And though his role for next season remains to be seen, Jake LaRavia is proving to be a solid bench piece that can step in when his number is called. After all, you can’t ever have too much size on the perimeter. And with his skillset, he’s showing the dribble-pass-shoot capabilities to play the 3, and the physicality to scale up to the 4.

We’ve seen many times over the years that you can’t draw too many definitive statements from this stretch of the season, especially for teams shifting younger players into more prominent roles.

However, Jake LaRavia is making it abundantly clear that he belongs in the league and is more than a stand-still shooter.

If you choose to support my Substack, SubTsakalidis — aka “SubTsak” — follow this link to my Allie’s Allies St. Jude fundraiser page. If you choose to subscribe, all proceeds will go towards St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.