Los Angeles Lakers UDFA Scotty Pippen Jr. is underrated
By Jonny Camer
There will always be immense pressure on your back when you are the son of an NBA Hall of Famer, especially when that Hall of Famer is Scottie Pippen. Labels have been put on Scotty Pippen Jr. no matter where he’s gone. For better or worse, the spotlight has always been on the young man.
After signing a two-way contract, Scotty Pippen Jr. will be playing with the Los Angeles Lakers Summer League team. NBA fans should get ready for him to make a name for himself.
Why Lakers’ Scotty Pippen Jr. is underrated
Though he shares a name with his father, the two on the basketball court are polar opposites. Unlike his father, Pippen Jr. is a 6’3″ guard that is known for his scoring ability. Throughout his entire career at Vanderbilt, it was clear he could score.
In all three seasons, he scored above 10 PPG. Including two seasons above 20 PPG. He can score the ball on multiple levels as a smaller combo guard. He’s best as an isolation scorer. The young man has a nice shooting stroke. He just needs to gain some more consistency on his jumper.
The other thing that is universally agreed on is the basketball IQ of this young man. Whether it’s orchestrating an offense or knowing when to use a pump fake, the 21-year-old has an IQ far beyond his age. Pippen Jr. led the nation in free throws attempted.
The young man has a knack for drawing fouls and making defenders look silly with pump fakes and hesitation moves. He also controlled a below-average Vanderbilt offense with ease. During all three seasons at Vanderbilt, he was top 10 in APG in the SEC. His playmaking might’ve been put more on the map had the team had some more consistent scorers.
The combo guard could see some minutes with the team if he impresses in the Summer League. The Lakers would benefit from a player that can come off the bench and create offense. The other quality Pippen Jr. possesses is his ability to create turnovers.
The former Vanderbilt guard is a pesky defender and can poke the ball loose at any time. He finished top five in the SEC for steals per game the past two seasons.
Scotty Pippen Jr. has a lot of potential and I believe this is a name you will see in the league very soon. He could crack the rotation if he plays well enough in Summer League ball. Time will tell, but one thing is for sure Pippen Jr. is a man on a mission.