The Memphis Grizzlies have selected Zach Edey with the No. 9 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Though Edey was not especially highly-touted as a recruit, he would eventually grow into one of the most decorated players in the history of college basketball. He won two Naismith College Player of the Year awards at Purdue, joining only Bill Walton and Ralph Sampson to have earned the award multiple times. He also earned two First-Team All-American bids, won two Pete Newell Big Man Awards (given to players for their work in the low post) and two Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Awards (given to the nation’s top center). He led college basketball in both total points (983) and rebounds (474) last season.
Edey is an anomaly in the modern NBA, a throwback to the low-post heavy league the NBA used to be. He will enter the NBA as immediately one of its most dangerous scorers near the basket and a deadly weapon on the glass. At 7-4, he is already one of the biggest players the league has ever had, but that size is both a blessing and a curse. There is widespread skepticism that Edey will be mobile enough to survive defensively in the NBA. It is a spread pick-and-roll league now, and opponents will try to force him to defend the perimeter. Players with his skill set that have been unable to do so, like the former Enes Kanter and Boban Marjanovic, have struggled to even stay on the floor in big games. Edey is going to have to prove his defensive versatility to thrive in the NBA, but if he can do so, his throwback skill set is going to make him a scary NBA player.
The Grizzlies had a bit of a lost season last year. Ja Morant was suspended to begin the season and got hurt soon after returning. Virtually everybody on the team missed significant time due to injury as Jaren Jackson Jr. led the team with 66 starts. No other player started more than 42 games for Memphis last season, and as a result, they fell into the lottery after back-to-back seasons as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Edey immediately slots in for Memphis as the long-term replacement for Steven Adams, who they traded last season. Adams served a vital role in Memphis as a rebounder and extra rim-protector next to Jackson, who is a bit smaller and more mobile than most big men. His interior scoring will also be a valuable weapon for them off the bench, when they need someone to pick up the scoring slack as Ja Morant rests.
The Grizzlies hope to be back in the Western Conference mix next season. Edey is ready to contribute for them immediately. He climbed up draft boards throughout the process and now he lands on the rare contender in the lottery.
