Zach Edey, the Memphis Grizzlies’ ninth pick in the 2024 NBA draft, is garnering the right attention. With his performance during the preseason games, he has thoroughly impressed Kevin Garnett.
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On KG Certified, the NBA legend sat with Paul Pierce to discuss the biggest surprises of the preseason. Garnett quickly highlighted Edey’s performances.
The Big Ticket declared that the former Purdue big man is his favorite so far in the preseason. Garnett didn’t just stop there. He claimed that the 7’4 center’s hook shots and post plays remind him of none other than the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
“I don’t know what we’re gonna call him for the whole year, but…Zach Edey looked like a goddamn Zach Alcindor [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous name] out there motherf***er. That motherf***er looked like Yao out there…Man, he had Myles Turner looking like, you and Prince in the backyard, jump hooking…”
“I like Memphis, man. I need to see it all out there,” KG added.
That’s a huge compliment for a 22-year-old trying to find his footing in the league. Now, is it just the hook shot that he attempted which reminded KG of KAJ or is there more to it?
In the last preseason game against the Pacers, Edey came off the bench and outperformed everyone. He had 23 points, nine rebounds, and an assist in 19 minutes of playing time.
The 7’4 center is also getting applause for redefining the iconic hook shot that Abdul-Jabbar was known for. Witnessing his recent performances has jogged up KG’s memories of the Lakers legend.
The Memphis Grizzlies might have gotten a steal in 7’4” rookie Zach Edey 🫣@KevinGarnett5KG: “He look like Zach Alcindor in that MF.”
ALL NEW Ticket & The Truth drops tomorrow on our YouTube! pic.twitter.com/MGuTCVjQih
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) October 17, 2024
While Garnett was amazed by the 22-year-old’s athleticism, his co-host, Pierce, was thinking about the future of the Grizzlies franchise. The Celtics legend said that Edey and Ja Morant in a pick-and-roll would be a lethal combination for the league to handle. These two have been working out together over the summer as well.
Ja Morant and Zach Edey can become a hit duo
For the last three years, Steven Adams used to be the big man on Morant’s team. Adams was effective, but he also missed a lot of games due to injuries. As a result, he was traded to Houston in February this year.
But Edey’s inclusion now provides Morant a crucial piece to be competitive in the West. He was basically a lone warrior for Purdue in their NCAA Final game against Uconn. So he knows well how to fit in a underdog team.
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From everything we have seen so far, he has the potential to be one of the key players in the franchise soon. More importantly, Edey and Morant have been seen practicing together. Morant taking the youngster under his wings shows that he believes in his talent.
In fact, the Grizzlies star has vouched for his new teammate to win Rookie of the Year.
