Memphis Grizzlies edge Philadelphia 76ers 94-92 in NBA summer league opener

David Roddy bullied his way toward the basket in the fourth to push the Memphis Grizzlies past the Philadelphia 76ers 94-92 in their summer league opener Monday in Salt Lake City.

Roddy had 18 points at Delta Center, including his go-ahead layup that gave the Grizzlies a 93-92 lead. He shot 36% from 3-point range and looked calm and under control after emerging as a dependable rotation player for Memphis as a rookie last season.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. led Memphis with 21 points and 12 rebounds, going 7-for-10 from the free-throw line. Rookie forward GG Jackson made his first appearance since being drafted with the No. 45 pick in last month's NBA draft, scoring 10 points. Jake LaRavia struggled by shooting 2-for-9 from 3 point range, finishing with 12 points.

Here are three observations from the game.

Defense is the focus, even for the summer

Grizzlies summer league coach Vitaly Potapenko is looking to integrate toughness during summer league. Potapenko's focus is "defense," according to Monday's NBA TV broadcast.

Potapenko was named the Grizzlies assistant coach in 2018 and is a former NBA player himself. He had an 11-year career and established himself as a low post player.

GG Jackson's change in mindset

Jackson has embraced his new team and coaching staff.

He was the youngest player in the 2023 NBA draft and formerly was the No. 1 player at his position in his class. With Jackson opting out of his senior year of high school and entering South Carolina with a lot of expectations, his mindset and attitude had to be developed.

Jackson apologized for his attitude on draft night and said that wasn't him, according to WLTX-TV in Columbia.

"That's big-headed GG. I'm little-headed GG," Jackson said.

More: 5 things to know about Memphis Grizzlies' NBA Draft pick GG Jackson of South Carolina

According to the NBA TV broadcast, Jackson has come into summer league with a different mindset. Jackson is "very engaged."

He had his first NBA points on a back-to-the-basket post-up.

Next up for Grizzlies

The Grizzlies have two games remaining in Salt Lake City before heading to Las Vegas on July 7.

The Grizzlies will face the Thunder on Wednesday (6 p.m. CT, NBA TV). The Grizzlies wrap up their Salt Lake City games versus the Jazz on Thursday (6 p.m. CT on NBA TV).

Reach sports writer Jerry Jiang at JJiang@gannett.com or on Twitter @j_jiang30

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies edge 76ers 94-92 in NBA summer league opener