Zach Edey Was The NBA Draft's Biggest Winner

The Memphis Grizzlies are the best team for Zach Edey.

Zach Edey, a first-round draft pick for the Grizzlies, smiles during a press conference to introduce the team’s 2024 NBA Draft picks at FedExForum on Friday, June 28, 2024. / Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA

After failing to trade up for Donovan Clingan on draft night, the Memphis Grizzlies selected Zach Edey with the No. 9 overall pick. While it came to many people's surprise, as Edey was constantly mocked in the mid-to-late teens, the Grizzlies addressed their needs for screening, interior scoring, and rebounding.

The biggest winner here is Edey, though. The 7-foot-4 big man will have the pleasure of playing with Ja Morant, one of the league's best playmakers. Morant will be able to find Edey on lobs out of pick-and-rolls and cuts in the dunker's spot. Edey will also be able to clean the offensive glass for Morant; he often draws multiple defenders when driving into the paint and shooting a layup or floater and Edey, who is the greatest rebounding prospect ever, will be able to capitalize on those 4-on-3 advantages by securing offensive rebounds.

Edey will also have the pleasure of sharing time with Marcus Smart and Jaren Jackson Jr. on the court. Smart's excellent screen navigation makes Edey's job as a pick-and-roll drop defender easier, while Jackson Jr.'s excellent ground coverage gives him a larger margin for error.

Edey will also make other people's lives easier too, though.

At 7-foot-4 and 300 lbs, he'll come into the NBA instantly as one of the best screeners. His screens will be able to create advantages on the perimeter, advantages that are key for Morant to attack and get deep into the paint. He benefitted from this a lot with Steven Adams, and now, he'll be able to benefit from Edey,

The former Boilermaker also excels as a drop defender. With a 7-foot-10 wingspan, solid mobility, and good rim protection, he is one of the better drop defenders in the 2024 class. This allows Jackson Jr. to slide back to the 4 on defense, where he can focus on 'roaming' off the ball and wreaking havoc by disrupting driving lanes in the gaps, closing passing lanes, and coming over to protect the rim. That's where he's at his best, not as a pick-and-roll defender.

The mutualistic style in which Edey and the Grizzlies both make each other better is why it is one of the best fits in the 2024 draft.

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