Nobody Should be Surprised by Zach Edey’s Success at NBA Scouting Combine
The videos began surfacing on social media, and you saw the basketball trickling through the net. It didn’t matter where former Purdue superstar Zach Edey stood on the court during the NBA Scouting Combine. Anytime he put a shot up, it found the bottom of the bucket.
That must’ve been tough to watch for the “he’s just tall” crowd. For four years, anyone doubting Edey’s basketball ability could harken back to that tired, overused and, quite frankly, stupid phrase.
Admittedly, the jump shot wasn’t part of his game at Purdue. But to quote Charlie from The Santa Clause (yes, I know it’s May), “Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
Zach Edey movement shooting pic.twitter.com/FkpnRtcjC6
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) May 13, 2024
Edey finished his drills with some impressive marks Monday at the NBA Combine. He made 14-of-25 shots from behind the 3-point line, hit 60% of his shots off the dribble and converted on nine-of-10 free throw attempts.
For those who hadn’t paid much attention to Edey’s game, his success as a jump-shooter probably does come as a bit of a shock. Those who remember last year’s NBA Combine aren’t surprised at all.
Clips of Edey’s touch on the jump shot began surfacing during last year’s NBA Combine. It was really the first time we had seen the 7-foot-4 center shoot from a notable distance from the floor.
Purdue's Zach Edey showed off his mobility, 7'10 1/2 wingspan, shooting potential and finishing ability in front of quite a few NBA executives at the Priority Sports Pro Day in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/u48p9MMGym
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 19, 2023
Purdue coach Matt Painter never utilized that aspect of Edey’s game. Instead, the Boilermakers found success with the big man posting up, taking advantage of one-on-one mismatches against smaller centers and forwards.
But after Purdue’s 88-67 win over Indiana in January at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Painter was asked how Edey had transformed from a second-round selection to a potential lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
"You know, when you compare it to somebody 6-foot-8, 210 (pounds), it's a lot different, right? But when you compare it to people his size, he's really moving. ... He makes his free throws,” Painter said. “He can shoot on the perimeter, I just don't let him — even though people get upset about it."
Perhaps Painter’s approach didn’t feature Edey’s shooting ability, but that’s not what the Boilermakers needed. The center’s low-post presence helped lead Purdue to back-to-back Big Ten regular season championships (2023, 2024), a Big Ten Tournament title (2023) and the program’s first National Championship game since 1969 (2024).
Edey’s willingness to follow Painter’s game plan over the last four years may highlight the center’s greatest quality: Selflessness. He could’ve easily fought for more perimeter shooting or transferred to a program that would have allowed him to incorporate that aspect into his game.
Instead, Edey stayed the course in West Lafayette. Why? Because it was a winning formula.
“I just like to do things the right way. I believe to help Purdue best I just go in the post just to get in the flow,” Edey said at the NBA Combine. “If I'm messing around at the 3-point line, it kinda messes with the flow and messes with some guys' rhythm. I believe the right way for me to play basketball and win games at Purdue was to play from the post and stuff like that.”
Zach Edey's pullup game is on point at the NBA draft combine pic.twitter.com/dRdk6hzrAq
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2024
Along with the team success at Purdue, Painter’s strategy turned Edey into one of the greatest college basketball players of all-time. He was a two-time National Player of the Year and leaves West Lafayette as the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
Yet as he prepares for the next chapter of his career, there are still plenty doubters who believe Edey’s game won’t translate to the NBA. Nothing I can write can summarize the uninformed negativity better than what Marquette’s Tyler Kolek said of Edey during the NBA Combine.
"The guy might be the best college player in the past 20 years,” Kolek said. “People that are criticizing him don’t really know what they are talking about at the end of the day."
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ZACH EDEY TALKS AT NBA COMBINE: Zach Edey met with reporters on Tuesday at the NBA Scouting Combine in Chicago. Here's what he had to say about his draft status, going through the process and more. CLICK HERE
ZACH EDEY'S DRAFT NIGHT PLANS: Zach Edey doesn't have extravagant plans for the 2024 NBA Draft. Instead, the two-time National Player of the Year wants to spend the night at Purdue with his closest friends. CLICK HERE
