NBA: Zach Edey Favorite To Win Rookie Of The Year

Zach Edey is the favorite to win the rookie of the year award. What makes him favored?

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With the NBA season finally here, we get to watch the 2024 NBA draft class in action. It will be exciting to see which players shine and which players show flashes throughout the season. It’s still fairly unpredictable on who will win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, but Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies is the top candidate.

The 7-foot-5 center was a four-year player who spent all his collegiate years at Purdue University. In both his junior and senior seasons, he won the national player of the year award. He is just the eighth player in NCAA history to earn that honor multiple times.

If he ends up winning the NBA Rookie of the Year, he will be the 20th player to win both awards. The massive center will be one of the only rookies to be a starter immediately as he’s projected to fill a positional need at the center position. After the Grizzlies traded away Steven Adams last year, they played Jaren Jackson Jr. at center but he just isn’t a good enough rebounder to consistently play that position. Edey will be a great fit next to Jackson as Edey is an amazing rebounder and interior force.

It’s obvious Edey will put up numbers as he has always been a productive player in college -- from when he was a freshman to the end of his career at that level. With how the regular season is played, we will likely see him get quite a few double-doubles throughout the course of the year. Typically players at that size with proven college production will put up good numbers in the NBA.

Playing next to one of the best playmakers and point guards in the entire NBA, Ja Morant, will make life significantly easier for Edey. Morant has tremendous court vision, puts a ton of pressure on the rim, and knows how to get teammates open. The pick-and-roll game between these two guys has the potential to be special, which will also help Edey’s chance at winning the award for the top rookie.

The NBA Rookie of the Year Award doesn’t often go to a player who is on a winning team, but this time could be different. With the Grizzlies fully healthy again, they are certainly a team that will be in the playoffs and contend to win the Western Conference. If Edey is starting, putting up good numbers and on one of the most winning teams in the NBA, then he might run away with this award.

Whether you love him or you hate him, there’s no denying that he’s a productive player when he’s on the court and will excel at what he does well which is rebound, be an efficient scorer inside the paint and hold a ton of gravity as a scorer. Edey will likely have a successful first season and contend for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

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