Grizzlies Rookie Notches First Major Single-Game Milestone vs 76ers

Zach Edey had a big game against the 76ers.

Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) blocks the drive of Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Memphis Grizzlies went into their Saturday night battle against the Philadelphia 76ers, putting an emphasis on minimizing the Sixers’ ability to grab offensive rebounds. The rookie big man Zach Edey would have to play a big part in his team finding success there.

On a personal level, Edey accomplished a major career milestone for the first time along the way.

Edey Notches a Double-Double

“We knew coming in they were an offensive rebounding team,” Edey told a reporter following the game. “They were second in the league. It’s a big part of their offense. … We came in with that mentality to eliminate that.”

Edey started and played 22 minutes for the Grizzlies on Saturday night. On the glass, he came down with ten rebounds. Five of them came when the Grizzlies were on defense.

Facing a Joel Embiid-less Sixers team, Memphis zeroed in on Andre Drummond, who collected his fifth-straight start on Saturday night. The Grizzlies prevented Drummond, a top rebounder in the NBA currently, from reaching double-digits in that department.

Offensively, Edey put up seven shots from the field, collecting four makes. He hit on both of his free throws to tack on two points. The Grizzlies rookie finished with ten points, ten rebounds, one steal, and one block.

The ninth-overall pick has high expectations to meet in Memphis. Cracking a role in the starting lineup was a step in the right direction for Edey. So far, his production through seven games showed Memphis a lot of promise in its young star-in-the-making.

In seven games, Edey has averaged nine points on 58 percent shooting from the field. He’s also averaging six rebounds per game in just 18 minutes of action.