Zach Edey getting drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies at #9 was considered the steal of the draft, especially when he won back-to-back National Player of the Year at Purdue. He hasn’t got the minutes everyone expected, but when he has stepped onto the court, he plays with an air of confidence about him, and the Grizzlies are a better side with him. Last night, he joined an elite club of NBA bigs, and teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. has made a bold claim about the Canadian center.
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Following the Grizzlies’ 29-point win over the Raptors, a fan account posted Edey’s stats on the night, announcing that he’d joined Hall of Famer Yao Ming, as only the second player in NBA history with 20+ points, 15+ rebounds, 9+ offensive rebounds, 2+ blocks while shooting above 50% from the field in a single game.
Edey finished the night with a team-best 21 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks, and shot 60% from the floor. Jackson, who started in the front court with him, boldly claimed that his performance was better than Ming’s seeing how Edey made 1 three-pointer (of his 5 attempts) and Yao hadn’t made any on his night.
only 1 w a 3 ball https://t.co/ZRilgAR9rP
— JJJ (@jarenjacksonjr) December 27, 2024
Jaren’s praise for his teammate only goes to show how loved Zach Edey is within the Grizzlies squad. Not only is he well-liked, but his skill set also means that he can go on to be a very useful player for them if they hope to challenge for a title. At 7’4 and with a 7’10 wingspan, Edey is a disastrous matchup for paint-dominant bigs.
He’s also shown a good aptitude for being an offensive force, with his ability to catch lobs and pull down offensive rebounds. Partnered with a rim-rushing point guard like Ja Morant also adds to his offensive threat in the paint.
Morant was excited to work with the rookie, and he showcased his confidence in the 2x Pete Newell Big Man Award winner by claiming he was a lock for the Rookie of the Year award way back in September.
“Definitely Rookie of the Year. I think easy, too,” Morant said in a video posted by Matt Infield of Action News 5. “It was definitely — I wouldn’t say a surprise for me, obviously, seeing how he dominated college. But coming into the workout, he came in and he was ready to work. Obviously, my summer workouts would be pretty much what I call boot camp. So for him coming in, saying he wants to work out with me and getting through the workout throughout the whole week, it was big time for him.”
Ja Morant made an appearance at Streets Ministries today, helping pack 60,000 meals with other members of the Grizzlies.
He was asked about Zach Edey and working out with him recently.
Without hesitation, Ja said on Edey: "Definitely Rookie of the Year, I think easy too."
— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) September 19, 2024
It seems Morant is a huge fan of Edey, having already given him his stamp of approval. While his prediction isn’t shaping up to be all that accurate, as Edey sits 5th on the NBA’s last Rookie of the Year ladder. The Grizzlies’ young core is shining though, with Jaylen Wells also in the running, currently in 3rd position to take the award.
