WVU basketball fans are already well aware of the type of scoring weapon that Javon Small can be. Now, the Memphis Grizzlies and the rest of the NBA are finding out firsthand just how dangerous he can be.
Small, who was drafted in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft this past summer by the Grizzlies, played just his third regular-season game of his NBA career on Saturday night as Memphis hosted the defending NBA Finals runner-up franchise in the Indiana Pacers. The Grizzlies pulled off a huge 128-103 win over Indiana, and were helped greatly by Small's performance.
Javon Small was excellent in a bench spot for the Memphis Grizzlies last night. Played out of pick-and-roll, changed speeds, hit from deep off the catch. Played his game that he showed all year at WVU pre-draft. 90th % in PnR Scoring, 38.9% C&S 3's last year. That'll work! pic.twitter.com/rLi42Iuudw
— Nathan Grubel (@DraftDeeper) October 26, 2025
In the win, Small only played 21 minutes, but managed to rack up 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, including going 3-of-4 from behind-the-arc. He also tallied six assists and two rebounds in the effort, and posted a plus-minus of +18. He finished the game with the fourth-most points of all Memphis players, as well as the second-most assists.
Small's performance comes after a stout nine-point effort in his second game for the Grizzlies, which followed him being held scoreless in the first game of the year. Small is now averaging 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game.
Small showed West Virginia fans what he was capable of last year as one of the leading scorers in the Big 12 Conference, averaging 18.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game en route to being honored as an All-American and all-Big 12 selection as he led the Mountaineers to the brink of an NCAA Tournament appearance. Now, he's showing why he belongs at the highest level of the sport.