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[Saba Sports News] Even as an assistant coach, Darvin Ham is still facing criticism.
The Memphis Grizzlies, missing key players like Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane, GG Jackson, and Luke Kennard, pulled off a surprising 122-99 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
Damian Lillard had a rough night for Milwaukee, scoring just four points on 1/12 shooting.
Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. played a crucial role in the win, contributing 16 points on 5/8 shooting in 27 minutes off the bench and spending significant time guarding Lillard.
After the game, Pippen said, “One of the coaches over there didn’t believe in me, so I definitely wanted to show that I can play some defense.”
Pippen’s comment seemed directed at Ham, now a Bucks assistant.
After going undrafted in 2022, Pippen began his career with the L.A. Lakers, making just six appearances before being waived and spending most of his time in the G League.
He signed with the Grizzlies in January 2024 and has become a solid rotation player, averaging 12.4 points and 5.0 assists over the last two seasons.
Ham, who coached the Lakers during Pippen’s time there, has faced similar criticism from former players.
Despite being undersized at 6-foot-1, Pippen, now 23, has worked hard on his defense to prove his skeptics wrong.