How Zach Edey will Stack up Against Utah Jazz in NBA Debut

Rookie Zach Edey and the Memphis Grizzlies kick off their season in two months on the dot. Let's examine how he might fare against their opponent.

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 TODAY NETWORK

With the 2024-25 season looming, the Memphis Grizzlies and their new Purdue product will be on display come mid-October.

After a season of turmoil, losing several of their players on the frontline throughout the year, they have a statement to make as they attempt to stake their name as a Western Conference contender as they'd appeared to be in recent years. Zach Edey will be in the mix to back Jaren Jackson Jr. in the front court, as the 7-foot-4 unit was selected by the Grizzlies at ninth overall back in June.

He and Memphis will make their season debut versus the Utah Jazz on Oct. 23, marking the start of the season and the start of a promising career for Edey -- and though, there are skeptics on how high he was selected, he'll undoubtedly bring some worthwile traits to an already defensively stout starting lineup.

Against the Jazz specifically, lined up against John Collins pending any issues, Edey will have his hands full defensively attempting to guard the athletic, high-flying big, but it should provide him plenty of ability to position himself for boards knowing Collins stands just 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds. But Collins' experience and the Jazz's game plan — more than likely — to box Edey out of the lane on both ends of the floor in his NBA debut should frustrate him if he forces the issue as sometime seen in college.

Though, if his decision making has grown to a level higher over the summer, acclimating to an NBA-ready mindset, he shouldn't have an issue having a decent outing against a team that's going to be middle-of-the-pack and below in the West this season.

Edey's first game will be a learning curve, but it should be exciting for the former Boilermaker.

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