How Zach Edey silenced doubters and became the missing piece for Memphis
The Rookie of the Year favorite has helped the Grizzlies become this year's most improved team
Despite bringing back much of the same roster from last season’s 27-55 injury-riddled campaign, the Memphis Grizzlies find themselves near the top of the league’s standings, sitting a promising 25-15 in a crowded Western Conference. While Memphis has relied on several surprising contributions this season, Purdue alum Zach Edey may serve as the biggest addition to a Grizzlies squad that’s transformed itself from bottom dweller to dark-horse title contender.
When “small ball” swept across the league in the mid-to-late 2010s, the prevailing narrative suggested that the new style of play was no longer conducive to the traditional big man. Slow, lumbering centers who couldn’t spread the floor were seen as relics from the past in a league that suddenly valued quickness and shooting above everything else. While the league has quietly zigged the other way, the idea of big men being too slow for the modern NBA is still a common talking point among pundits and fans alike. Such thinking made many believe that Edey wasn’t worthy of playing in the NBA, despite putting up historic numbers and back-to-back Player of the Year awards in college the previous two seasons. He’s since silenced all doubters, showing fans that his game translates just as well as anyone from the 2024 draft class. Here’s how he stacks up against some of the other top rookies (all stats are per 100 possessions):
One knock on Edey was the belief that he was too slow laterally to play defense in the NBA. However, he quieted critics by posting an impressive lateral agility time of 11.19 seconds at the draft combine, outperforming fellow rookie big men Alex Sarr, Yves Missi, and Donovan Clingan. While Edey may appear slow if you’re watching at home, his sheer size makes up for the lack of twitchiness, as it simply takes less movement for him to cover the same ground as a smaller player—making up for any perceived lack of quickness.
While many rookies can fill up box scores, it’s uncommon for a contending team to be better with a rookie on the floor. The Grizzlies outscore their opponents by nearly three points per 100 possessions with Edey on the floor than without. For context, the San Antonio Spurs were 4.5 points per 100 possessions better with generational prospect Victor Wembanyama on the court at this point last season, and they were going through a full-scale rebuild.
One area that has translated seamlessly from college to the NBA is the 22-year-old’s dominance in the paint. The big man’s touch is simply sensational, as he’s consistently able to use his large frame to shield off defenders and unleash his lethal hook shot. He’s shooting nearly 80 percent from 0-3 feet, showing how unstoppable he remains when he catches the ball deep in the post.
Edey’s touch may also be the reason behind his surprising development as a three-point shooter this season. While the volume is still incredibly low at just one attempt per game, he’s already starting to draw soft closeouts, a significant development from the beginning of the year, when defenders would dare the big man to shoot. If his 42.3 percent clip from deep isn’t fool’s gold, that attention will only continue to increase.
Edey’s incredible offensive rebounding makes him a perfect fit for the modern NBA. With possession differential becoming a growing trend across the league, teams that frequently crash the offensive glass have tilted the math in their favor by giving themselves more scoring opportunities than their opponent. At 7 feet 4 inches and 305 pounds, the Toronto native has allowed the Grizzlies to chase extra possessions, using his enormous stature to block out defenders and create extra shots for himself and his teammates. He currently ranks among the top five players in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage - a factor that has catapulted the Grizzlies from dead-last in offensive rating in 2023-24 to fifth this season.
After struggling to avoid foul trouble early on in the season, Edey has seen immediate improvements in that area throughout his rookie campaign, as his fouls per game have continued to go down as his minute workload has increased. Such a turnaround is generally surprising for a young big man, especially one who challenges as many shots at the rim as him. However, his ability to avoid foul trouble was one of his main calling cards in college—a skill set that he was forced to learn on a Purdue squad that was only as good as he was. Edey had to be on the floor for Purdue to be successful, which required him to find ways to have a defensive impact without getting himself in foul trouble.
Maybe one of the biggest benefits of Edey’s emergence has been his ability to unlock Jaren Jackson on the defensive end. With Edey serving as a traditional rim protector, Jackson has been able to play more of a “rover” role on defense—a position that better enhances his skillset. With Steven Adams injured and then traded to the Houston Rockets, Jackson was forced to play much of last season at center, which prevented him from fully utilizing his sublime defensive playmaking talent. With Edey (and teammate Jay Huff) among the league leaders in contested shots per 36 minutes, Jackson has arguably become the league’s preeminent help defender.
On offense, Edey opens up space for teammates in an overlooked way - by sealing. While sealing isn’t an aspect of the sport that shows up in box scores, it’s a valuable component of creating more opportunities at the rim for smaller guards. His size and awareness have helped to increase the number of clean opportunities around the basket for players like Ja Morant and Scotty Pippen Jr., as he often shields off the opponent's best rim protector as his teammate drives to the basket.
Edey and Morant have been particularly lethal when paired together, posting an absurd 15.6 net rating in 245 minutes. Given how difficult it can be for a college star to reimagine his game in a different role in the NBA, it’s an extremely encouraging sign to see Edey quickly reinvent himself alongside the Grizzlies’ stars.
Having only started playing basketball as a sophomore in high school, it wouldn’t be outlandish for a Grizzlies fan to believe that Edey could have greater upside than the average 22-year-old prospect.
One could also question whether he’s reached his peak with his apparent slow feet and lack of burst. However, something suggests Edey prefers it that way.