Scotty Pippen Jr. Scratched Saturday With Back Injury

The Memphis Grizzlies are once again playing the hits, and by hits, I mean updating the medical charts. Underdog NBA reported late Saturday that Scotty Pippen Jr. is officially inactive with a lower back injury.

If you were banking on some deep-cut Grizzlies player props to save your weekend slip, it is time to pivot. Pippen being scratched means Memphis has to shuffle a backcourt rotation that is already held together by athletic tape and sheer willpower.

"Underdog NBA: 'Scotty Pippen Jr. (back) inactive Saturday.'"

Pippen has been trying to find his footing this season, logging 16 minutes a night and chipping in 6.4 points and 2.2 assists over five games. That is a noticeable dip from his 2024-2025 campaign where he was putting up over 10 points a game and occasionally starting alongside guys like Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.

The real tragedy here is his brutal luck with injuries over the last calendar year. The guard had a procedure on his left big toe in late 2025, then had to get a sesamoidectomy on his right big toe in March 2026. Now his back is acting up. At 25 years old, his medical file reads like a guy who has spent three decades moving pianos up fifth-floor walk-ups.

Memphis will have to lean heavier on their remaining guards to fill the void tonight. For Pippen, the immediate goal is just getting back on the floor before this back issue turns into another multi-week saga. Keep an eye on the Grizzlies' injury report heading into next week, because right now, their rotation is a daily guessing game.