South Carolina basketball alum GG Jackson had a really nice rookie season in the NBA during the 2023-2024 campaign. After starting the year on a two-way contract following a 2nd-round NBA Draft selection, Jackson worked his way up to the active roster for the Memphis Grizzlies, and by the time the season ended, he was an NBA All-Rookie performer.
Frankly, it isn't very fair to the rest of the young players in the NBA Summer Leagues that GG Jackson is playing. However, as a basketball junky, Jackson has been playing in the NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas, and the second-year pro put up a dominant performance in the desert.
In 30 minutes of action, Jackson scored 27 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in a win over the Orlando Magic. He led both teams in scoring and rebounding, knocked down 3 3-pointers, and committed just 1 turnover and 0 fouls despite his heavy usage in the game.
The Grizzlies are a real contender in the Western Conference moving forward, and Jackson has a chance to be a starter or an elite offensive sparkplug off the bench this year. Point guard Ja Morant and shooting guard Desmond Bane were among the players who missed most of last season for the Grizzlies, but with those players back, Jackson taking another step forward, and the impact of dynamic post duo Jaren Jackson, Jr. and Zach Edey, the team will be a must-watch.
South Carolina basketball alum Ta'Lon Cooper is playing this summer with the Orlando Magic (he signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the organization after the NBA Draft), but Cooper did not play in the game on Wednesday. If he sticks with the team through the start of the season, the former Gamecock point guard will be on a two-way contract.