Zach Edey on NBA Potential: 'I Don't Think I'm Close to My Ceiling'
Zach Edey didn't become a two-time National Player of the Year without a little confidence and swagger. The former Purdue center is generally a humble individual, but when it comes to his abilities on the court, the 7-foot-4 center knows he possesses the skills to be successful in the NBA.
Edey worked out with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, a few weeks prior to the 2024 NBA Draft. After talking about the special opportunity to work with his hometown team, Edey talked about his potential at the next level.
Although we primarily saw a post-up player at Purdue, Edey says there's a lot more he can do on the court.
“I don’t even think I’m close to my ceiling,” he said, per Aaron Rose of All Raptors. “Still doing things in practice I’ve never done. Still trying to add things to my game that I’ve never done before. I don’t think I’m a finished player by any means.”
We saw a little bit of what Edey has to offer during his time at the NBA Scouting Combine in May. He showed off the ability knock down shots off the dribble and from behind the 3-point line. It was an aspect of his game we didn't see during his time in West Lafayette.
And it wasn't really necessary. As a player who primarily occupied the paint on both ends of the court, Edey was a two-time National Player of the Year, a two-time Big Ten regular season champion, a Big Ten Tournament champion and a National Championship Game participant.
Last season, Edey averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.0 assists per game. He left Purdue as the program's all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
Yes, Edey understands that's still the strongest aspect of his game. But he still believes he can add new elements to his game at the next level.
“At Purdue I was a post-up player, it’s not a secret. I like to play in the post, I like to get rebounds,” he said. “But now that I’m preparing for the draft, I’m really working on extending my range, I’m feeling comfortable out there and comfortable in doing different shit, different things.”
Edey is projected to be a first-round pick when the draft rolls around later this month.
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