Zach Edey in the road trip for the Grizzlies (4 games) 19.3⁄16.5 with 2.8 blocks on 70.6 FG%
19.3 points
16.5 rebounds
2.8 blocks
The Grizzlies went 3-1 in these games
Stats: https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/zach-eddy-stats-last-4-games
His ceiling honestly could be insanely high there’s just a unique dimension that his size brings
Like at his height his rebounding alone could be almost game breaking as he continues to get more coordinated and his post scoring/hands are clearly getting stronger and stronger as well
If someone arrived from the future and told me that exactly one player from the 2024 draft class defied initial expectations and made 1st team All NBA Edey might be my first pick he has the kind of outlier traits that point to a high ceiling and literally his impact metrics so far this year are already through the roof
Peak Edey could be a player who gives you 20⁄15 a night with plus rim protection that’s easily star level
The only slight worry is if he can stay on the court against small ball lineups
When we played Golden State last season in the playin he did get attacked a lot, but honestly if he can kill them on the offensive glass it’s worth having him out there
Grizzlies won his minutes in that game by 6 and lost the 16 minutes he was off the court by 11. Also, it is important to point out that he had the best defensive rating on the team: https://www.nba.com/game/mem-vs-gsw-0052400121/box-score?type=advanced
The issue in that game was that Wells was hurt meaning the Grizzlies didn’t have anyone to guard Butler. They actually started the game with Edey matched up on Butler.
In the last matchup of the season when both the Grizzlies and Warriors were trying to avoid the play-in and the Grizzlies had Wells to guard Butler, Edey was a +13 and the Grizzlies lost the 16 minutes he was off the court by 21. The Warriors tried to play Edey off the court but couldn’t. Again, Edey had the best defensive rating on the Grizzlies: https://www.nba.com/game/gsw-vs-mem-0022401100/box-score?type=advanced
I talk about that here in this video: https://youtu.be/oKQrZGjthrA?si=oE1fEC6Ui0VylHkc&t=1175
Also, here is the video of Edey in defensive situations people thought he would struggle in: https://youtu.be/O-cQSxCZbY4?si=t7EQmiKdJs4xLeEY
Exactly, the original worry when he was drafted is he would get played off the floor by smaller players. The reality seems to be the opposite, which is that he plays small players off the floor with the mismatch he creates with his size. The nba has an over abundance of small players right now and almost every night there is a size matchup for edey to exploit. Given that, if edey can maintain 65%+ from the field as his career progresses and that jump hook just keeps getting more lethal, 20 ppg seems like a low end estimate. Its just a matter of how much the grizzlies decide to lean on that shot and if the league adapts and adds more size to rosters to counter it.
This exactly. If you watch the Spurs games, they had to match Edey’s minutes with Kornet. The two minutes Edey was on the court that Kornet wasn’t the Grizzlies killed the Spurs and forced timeouts.
This is why I’m so excited for Ja being back. Edey forces you to play the type of big that historically has been played off the court by elite guards. So it’s pick your poison. Play small and get killed in the paint, or go big and struggle to defend Ja in ball screens.
Also, it’s still amazing that the Grizzlies implemented LaRoche’s no screening offense in the same year they drafted Edey, the greatest screening prospect in the history of the NBA. Completely neutralized him in the half court last year. Main reason I believe TJ ended up getting fired.
I don’t think the LaRoche system is necessarily bad, but holy shit what a terrible roster to try it out with lol
Completely agree. I would actually be 100% in favor of the Grizzlies running that system with their bench unit this year. But with Ja and Edey, it was never going to work.
Thanks for the insight, I’ll be sure to tune in to that video when I get the time
Yup the other important part of that equation is him just being able to consistently punish small lineups with his own scoring and he’s certainly trending in a positive direction there this season
Obviously 3 > 2 but with his height and how much his hands have improved this year it’s theoretically possible to just spam him for easy 2s if teams try to scheme him off the floor
I just really like unique players so I’m rooting for him to reach his max potential lol
There is no such thing as 3>2. It’s really 1.2>1.1. Obviously if you are down 3 with 10 seconds left, you need to take a 3. But over the course of 103 possessions, I’d rather take shots worth 1.2 points per shot while my opponent takes shots worth 1.1 points per shot.
He plays very in control of his body too. He reminds me so much of Yao.
I can’t wait to have this man on our squad for the 2028 olympics, he is HIM
I really really hope Edey is him. A big man is the biggest missing piece in that 2028 Canadian Olympic team.
we’re really gonna be upgrading from khem birch and Dwight powell to big zhaq, cant believe this is my life
Kelly Olynyk erasure
im trying to
He should’ve been on the 2024 team even as a college player
Fuck everyone who said he was too ‘limited’ to be an nba player
The reality is that the nba was too limited, and they created a situation that this man could absolutely dominate by trying to chase smaller and smaller lineups. Edey is currently proving Shaq right that he would have absolutely dominated in this era too.
Edey is currently proving Shaq right that he would have absolutely dominated in this era too.
Yup.
That’s been a question asked here a lot. Could Shaq be a star in the modern NBA.
Based on Edey - absolutely.
Sure, these toothpick 7’ 1”, 210 lb centers can 3-and-D. But they really struggle on the inside against Edey, and exactly how is that surprising to anyone?
It doesn’t matter if you have elite shot blocking if the guy can move you so far under the basket that he still makes 80% of his shots. You end the game with 3 blocks, 8 fouls, and a big L. 😂
We also need to add these slendermen tend to avoid contact - Edey seeks it out.
When you’re averse to being physical, and the guy who has nearly 100 pounds on you enjoys it - good luck.
I really wanted the Lakers to take him but knew he wouldn’t have slipped to 17. Memphis got a building block (figuratively and metaphorically).
I was so wrong about him. I didnt think he was going to be quick enough for the NBA and he almost immediately proved me wrong.
His college speed was deceptive, especially if you only watch highlights. He played at 70% most of the game because he could do that and still dominate, and Purdue needed him on the floor. Same reason he was taught to let the basket go if he was beat. But the first five minutes of the second half of games he would always play all out, and that version of Edey looked pro-ready.
I’ll be honest. I was wrong about him succeeding in the NBA
I am once again asking God for one (1) point guard to come back to the lineup to play off him.
I wish I can undo the trade up in 2024 so bad
Grown ass man
He’s not like Wemby or Chet with the slenderman build. He’s just fucking big. He’s already improved form last year a ton. I’m excited for his future.
Oh, wow.
That’s some big numbers there.
Sooooooo.
Edey isn’t having trouble adjusting to the NBA, the NBA is having trouble adjusting to him.
Gosh, who could have seen that coming from a 2-time college NPOY? Apparently most draft “experts” and “analysts.”