Zach Edey Gets Limited Playing Time in Grizzlies’ Win

Rookie big man Zach Edey seldomly saw the floor in the team’s win over Dallas Monday.

Jan 3, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) shoots the ball against Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Grizzlies’ big man Zach Edey has been one of the better rookies to take the court this season. 

At 7-foot-4, he dominated college basketball with near-unprecedented stat-lines, and that’s somewhat carried over to the professional level, too. In his 22 games played, he’s seen 10.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, shooting 60% overall and 41% from beyond the arc: all very solid numbers for a previously thought of slow-footed big.

Despite his success so far, there’s still been some puzzling decision on Memphis’ end in his first season. He’s started in 15 of 22 games, but has seen his minutes fluctuate as a frosh.

In a bout with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, Edey played just 13 minutes, failing to make a massive statistical impact overall. Out of the half, Edey was replaced by fellow big man Jay Huff in the starting lineup. 

Deep into the third quarter, he had played less than just 10 minutes before a small stint. He finished with four points on 2-for-4 shooting, with three rebounds, two blocks and three turnovers.

Things haven’t been perfect for Edey so far. There’s times his slower tendencies get him beat on the perimeter, and skilled bigs can take advantage of the matchups, too. But the Grizzlies’ inability to let him work through issues early in his career could lead to a stunting in his growth. 

The team did still go on to beat Dallas, snapping a two-game skid. The Grizzlies next take on a tough Western Conference rival in the Houston Rockets, likely their biggest competition for the West’s No. 2 seed at the moment.

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