Zach Edey being picked by the Memphis Grizzlies at #9 was considered a big surprise, especially since he won back-to-back National Player of the Year awards at Purdue.
Though he hasn’t played as much as expected, every time he steps on the court, he plays confidently, and the Grizzlies are better with him. Recently, he joined an elite group of NBA big men, and his teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. made a bold statement about the Canadian center.
After the Grizzlies’ 29-point victory over the Raptors, a fan account posted Edey’s stats, revealing that he had joined Hall of Famer Yao Ming as the second player in NBA history to have 20+ points, 15+ rebounds, 9+ offensive rebounds, 2+ blocks, and shoot over 50% in a single game.
Edey finished with 21 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks, and shot 60% from the floor, leading his team. Jackson, who started alongside him, claimed that Edey’s performance was better than Ming’s because Edey made one three-pointer (out of five attempts), while Yao didn’t make any in his game.
Jackson’s praise shows how much Edey is liked by his teammates. He is not only well-liked but also brings valuable skills that could help the Grizzlies if they aim for a championship. Standing at 7’4 with a 7’10 wingspan, Edey is a tough matchup for big men who dominate the paint.
He has also proven to be a strong offensive player, able to catch lob passes and grab offensive rebounds. Playing alongside a point guard like Ja Morant, who attacks the rim, makes him an even bigger offensive threat in the paint.
Morant was excited to play with the rookie and showed confidence in Edey by calling him a lock for the Rookie of the Year award as early as September. “Definitely Rookie of the Year.
I think easy, too,” Morant said in a video posted by Matt Infield of Action News 5. “It was definitely — I wouldn’t say a surprise for me, obviously, seeing how he dominated college. But coming into the workout, he came in and he was ready to work.
Obviously, my summer workouts would be pretty much what I call boot camp. So for him coming in, saying he wants to work out with me and getting through the workout throughout the whole week, it was big time for him.”
It seems that Morant is a big fan of Edey and has already given his approval. While his prediction might not be totally accurate, as Edey is currently in 5th place on the NBA’s Rookie of the Year ladder, the Grizzlies’ young players are excelling. Jaylen Wells is also in the running, currently in 3rd place for the award.
