Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey, standing at 7-foot-4, seems to be finding his rhythm in the NBA after several weeks into his career.
The Grizzlies’ first-round pick in the 2024 draft, Edey showed he deserved his ninth overall selection during Monday’s 106-104 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
The former two-time national player of the year at Purdue finished with a season-high 25 points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes, playing confidently and looking strong in the paint.
As Memphis prepares to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, coach Taylor Jenkins will be focused on how Edey performs against Anthony Davis, one of the NBA’s top players in the post. Davis is currently averaging 32.6 points and 11.6 rebounds, shooting 57.1 percent from the field.
Jenkins was encouraged by Edey’s performance against Brooklyn, especially for a team that lost Steven Adams last season and is looking for a strong presence in the paint.
“I thought playing in traffic was one of the biggest areas of (Edey’s) growth,” Jenkins said. “I thought he did a great job (against the Nets).
They were swarming him and slapping down on his arms. He was finishing through contact. I was surprised he only got four free throws because he had two or three guys hanging on him the entire night.”
Jenkins also praised Edey’s ability to catch passes in tight spaces and for being a strong presence around the rim. In addition, Edey contributed four blocks on defense.
“He got beat a couple of times … I think he is still figuring out the speed of the game, as I have talked about before,” Jenkins said. “But, overall, very impressed with his defensive activity.”
As for Davis, he’s been dealing with a foot injury, which makes him day-to-day for Wednesday’s game. Los Angeles coach J.J. Redick has made Davis the main focus of the Lakers’ offense, working to get him touches on every possession.
LeBron James, who turns 40 in December, continues to play at a high level. He had 20 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds during the Lakers’ loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
The Lakers have been struggling lately, dropping three of their last four games after a strong start to the season, which included wins over playoff teams like Minnesota, Phoenix, and Sacramento. On Monday, they lost 115-103 to Detroit, allowing 67 points in the first half.
“We’re just two different teams right now,” Davis said. “One game, we’re this team who showcased it can be one of the better teams in the league. Then the next, we’re this team who — I don’t even know who we are.
“So, we just got to be better. We got to put a full 48 (minutes) together, and we can’t continue to do this if we expect to do anything this season.”
To address some recent defensive issues, Redick may give more minutes to Cam Reddish, who played his first rotation minutes of the season against Detroit. His defensive abilities and athleticism could be a key asset for the Lakers moving forward.
“He did exactly what was asked of him,” James said. “He came in and defended at a high level. He was great.”
