Zach Edey Is Off To An Interesting Start

The 7-foot-4 center has started off his preseason career better than anyone could have hoped.

Oct 12, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) goes to the basket against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

I've written about Zach Edey before, but I simply can't help myself. His play warrants a second look.

The 7-foot-4 behemoth of a center has played outstanding basketball during the NBA preseason, posting averages of 13.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in just 20.2 minutes of play.

Granted, the Grizzlies have essentially tailored their preseason around him - which was not a bad idea - but despite the fact that he's being funneled shots, he's making the most of it. 

Edey has displayed a high sense of patience around the rim, and a wicked right-hand hook shot that teams were unsure would translate to the NBA level, when he were to go up against bigger, and more athletic, defenders.

So far, Edey has looked every bit like the player he was at Purdue, utilizing his size, boxing out, deterring shots near the rim, and generally he's been able to - once again - leverage his height into production, be that for himself or others.

As far as the Grizzlies building their preseason schemes around him? That's clever. Even if the regular season will end up more difficult, and it will, getting Edey into a rhythm where he understands that shots could come his way any minute is an enormous asset for both Edey himself, and Memphis at large. 

For Edey to not just settle for 4-5 shots in the preseason, and instead get into the consistency of being expected to contribute, that should pay major dividends for both parties this season. 

Will the big man be able to replicate his current success during the regular season? That's a question we still need to see answered, and in fairness, the competition is better. So it's not like we should wave the ROY flag around already, but at the least, it's fair to be encouraged by this start.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

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