#ProDeacs: Jake LaRavia makes NBA preseason debut
Former Wake Forest basketball standout Jake LaRavia is off to a solid start in the NBA preseason. Through two games with the Memphis Grizzlies, the 19th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft has played 46 minutes, coming off the bench in both games.
READ: Takeaways from Wake Forest Basketball's Open Practice
LaRavia has already shown off the versatility that brought him great success wearing the black and gold. In the Grizzlies game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, LaRavia scored 15 points, and added two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Along with the impressive statline, LaRavia also threw down a nice dunk in transition:
And check out this steal, which Jake took coast to coast and finished through the foul:
Memphis went on to win 107-102.
READ: Wake Forest Basketball: 2022-23 ACC Schedule Released
In Monday night’s game against the Orlando Magic, LaRavia continued to impact the game in all areas. In 25 minutes of action, he put up five points, four rebounds, one steal and one block. And once again, LaRavia showed off his athleticism with this nice drive and finish:
LaRavia has struggled from behind the arc these first two games, converting only 2/10 of his attempts. Here’s one of his makes:
The Grizzlies moved to 2-0 in the preseason with a 109-97 win.
There are three more preseason games before the official NBA season kicks off. It’ll be interesting to see if LaRavia will be able to carve a role off the bench in the beginning of the season.
He’s lucky to be playing on a young and exciting team, and it’s pretty awesome to see him play alongside NBA All-Star Ja Morant, only a year removed from playing at the Joel in Winston-Salem. Although the Grizzlies are a deep and competitive team, there’s a real opportunity for him to make an impact early on.
READ: Analyzing the Wake Forest Men's Basketball 2022-23 Non-Conference Schedule
The other #ProDeac to watch out for this NBA preseason is Alondes Williams of the Brooklyn Nets. In the Nets 127-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night, Williams only saw five minutes of floor time. However, he did score a very stylish two points on this tough lay-in at the end of the game.
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