One of the best balanced teams all season long might just have a problem on their hands.
The Memphis Grizzlies picked up Zach Edey in the ninth pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, with hopes and dreams that the big man traditional role in the NBA would make a comeback and while Memphis fans wouldn’t quite call it a ‘comeback,’ they’ve seen potential in the Purdue standout, but in comes a bigger question as to what is actually Taylor Jenkins’ plan with Edey?
Edey might not be the offensive monster that he once was with the Boilermakers, but even if he isn’t, he’s still a threat to anyone on the defensive end.
Memphis Isn’t Giving Edey Much of A Chance
In the Grizzlies’ loss to the Houston Rockets, Zach Edey was one of the more efficient guys on the court, grabbing seven rebounds, one steal, one block with just two points in 24 minutes of action.
Edey also had a +11 in the plus-minus category. We’ve seen numbers like this before from Edey, but not because he’s not playing well, he’s just not getting the chance to play when he’s proven time and time again to be a useful teammate.
Edey’s numbers prove it too. In the first half of the season, he’s averaging 9.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on the season. Not bad for a rookie looking to continue an already stellar individual career.
One guy that knows exactly what Edey’s going through: Steven Adams.
Adams was traded from Memphis to Houston, and has a strong feeling that the growing pains he’s seeing in Edey aren’t quite new at all.
“Really good potential. Obviously, limitless. He’s just young. He has to learn this game of the NBA.” – Steven Adams.
This is exactly what we would see in any rookie in the NBA. Some that are just gifted like LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama have it come easy to them, but Edey is different.
He was the first back-to-back national player of the year for the first time since Ralph Sampson 40 years ago.
The Grizzlies organization knows the talent is right there, they just have to figure out how to use it.
Edey can still be a major force on both sides of the ball. The Grizzlies just need to find a good matchup for him on the pick-and-roll or against someone who’s about four inches shorter than him. Remember, Edey is 7-foot-4 with practically the same wingspan as Wembanyama. He’s got plenty of years to thrive in the NBA.
Ja Morant recently gave Edey his flowers saying that he will be a huge piece for Memphis in the future.
Another reminder, he’s been playing organized basketball for about nine years. As a late bloomer, he’s still got to adjust to learn today’s NBA and that’s exactly what Adams talked about. He hasn’t been afraid to show off his perimeter jump shot this season, and expanding on that will only make him a monster.
Where Edey Goes From Here If Memphis Doesn’t Work Out
There are plenty of pick-and-roll friendly places for Edey if Memphis just has too many tools to even think about giving Edey more reps.
The Dallas Mavericks would be a dream for Edey. With Luka Doncic being a pick-and-roll maestro, Edey would thrive with someone like Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
The Indiana Pacers have similar comparisons to Myles Turner, but if Indiana once to move on from him, he’d be a nice fit, plus it’d be great for the Purdue fans to give him a warm welcome back.
The Atlanta Hawks with Trae Young running the pick-and-roll would be deadly for other teams across the East. With Zaccharie Risacher’s future ceiling being an unknown, this would be a great excuse for Atlanta to go after Edey someday.
