For the first time in years, Scotty Pippen Jr. is finally playing without constant pain — and Friday night in Portland looked like the start of something different.

After missing 49 games following left big toe surgery, Pippen returned to game action feeling healthy for the first time since before his NBA career began. He finished with 13 points and six assists in 22 minutes, moving freely and pushing pace in ways he simply couldn’t before.

“Physically, I feel much better,” Pippen said. “I feel like I’m finally healthy.”

For years, Pippen managed a fractured toe that never healed, relying on pain medication, ice, and numbing cream just to play. Surgery became the last resort — and now, nearly four months later, he says he can finally push off, slide, and run without pain.

“I’m able to run up and down the court,” he said. “I can push off my toe and bend my toe.”

With Memphis reshuffling lineups and searching for stability, the question now is simple: how much does a healthy Pippen change the guard rotation — and how quickly?