At 23 years old, Scotty Pippen Jr. is making an impact in the NBA G League, proving his ability as a playmaker and scorer at the elite level. 

The young point guard notched the first triple double of his professional career against the Ignite, led by Ron Holland II, a potential top pick in the 2024 NBA draft. Pippen Jr. tallied 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists during this standout performance.

Family support

Scotty's father and six-time NBA Champion Scottie Pippen was in attendance at the UCLA Health Training Center to watch his son put up the best performance of his career in El Segundo, California. 

Pippen Jr. made his debut in the NBA last season where he played six games with the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, he's determined to make his return to the association and is averaging nearly 17 points, five assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game this season.

Despite only playing six games in the NBA, there's no doubt that the opportunity to learn from players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis in practice served as a valuable experience. 

Fight back

One week away from the start of the 2023/24 NBA season, Pippen Jr. was waived by the Lakers. Despite having a strong training camp, the 23 year-old didn't get another opportunity to be on the Lakers roster and signed to be with the South Bay Lakers for a second season in a row.

Last year, Pippen Jr. played 16 regular season games with the Lakers G League affiliate and averaged 23 points per game while being on a two-way contract. He was also selected to represent the G League in the Rising Stars Game during All-Star Weekend in Utah. 

Undoubtedly the point-guard out of Vanderbilt could produce for multiple NBA teams off the bench. As the season progresses, it shouldn't surprise us if Pippen Jr.'s scoring and playmaking abilities earned him an NBA call-up later this season.