Before Zach Edey ever stepped on an NBA court, critics were rooting for him to fail. The doubt that followed the 7-foot-4 center from Purdue to Memphis was thicker than the vapors billowing out of smoke machines during the pregame introductions.
Criticism ranged from Edey’s perceived one-dimensional game to his inability to play at an NBA pace. Although he was a two-time National Player of the Year in college, a belief existed that a player with Edey’s skill set didn’t have a place in today’s game.
One critic was particularly boisterous with her opinion when the Grizzlies selected Edey with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
“This is one of the (most shocking) picks I’ve ever seen in the NBA Draft, especially in the top-10,” said Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports. “This is a terrible pick, I’m giving it a ‘C’ grade. We’ll see if I’m wrong. If I’m wrong, I’m happy to take the (loss). This is one of the worst picks in draft history.”
Go ahead and place a tally in the ‘L’ column.
Saturday, Edey’s rookie season in the NBA came to an end as Memphis dropped a 117-115 decision to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the NBA Playoffs. The Grizzlies were swept — an ugly end to a successful year for the former Boilermaker.
Yes, I am using the word “successful.” That’s how I would define Edey’s rookie year in the league. How else would you describe it?
Edey closed out his first NBA year averaging 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in the regular season. That stat line isn’t too shabby for the “worst pick in the history of the NBA Draft.”
He had some strong performances throughout the course of his rookie campaign, but Edey really thrived after Memphis made a coaching change, firing Taylor Jenkins and placing the interim tag on Tuomas Iisalo.
Memphis played 15 games after the swap, nine regular season contests, two more in the NBA Play-In Tournament and four games in the first round of the playoffs. In that stretch, Edey posted 9.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. The 7-foot-4 center recorded five double-doubles in the final 15 games. In the Play-In Tournament, he accounted for 39 points and 28 rebounds in games agaisnt the Golden State Warriors (loss) and Dallas Mavericks (win).
The biggest compliment to Edey’s game, though, came from Memphis teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. after the Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks in the second game of the Play-In Tournament to clinch the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.
“He’s doing it right now for us, and he’s a rookie. We can’t really ask anything more of him right now,” Jackson said. “We ask for a lot from him, every night. He knows that. We can probably get annoying, but we appreciate how he handles it, with grace and he’s really humble. I mean, If I was a two-time Player of the Year coming in to any team, I’d probably have something to say … but he doesn’t.”
The most difficult part of transitioning from college basketball to the NBA is earning the respect of your new teammates. Edey seemed to pass that test with flying colors.
In a game against the Utah Jazz in January, Edey took on an “enforcer” role for the Grizzlies, coming to the aid of Ja Morant after a brush-up with Keyonte George.
“It was a screen and bro kind of mugged me,” Morant said after the game. “Then Zach came over and like, ‘He bothering you?’ I’m like, ‘Nah, bro.’ Then the first technical happened, so I guess Zach thought I was lying and he became the enforcer that he is for this team.
“Shout out to my big fella. I got that tech for him, so, he doesn’t have to worry about it coming out of pocket.”
When talking about Edey’s rookie season, the word “successful” shouldn’t be confused for “flawless.” Without question, there are still some areas where the center can improve.
Edey’s weakness in defending a small lineup was on full display in Memphis’ loss to Golden State in the NBA Play-In Tournament. For a majority of the game, the Warriors’ ball movement took the rookie out of position or put him in mismatch situations. He was unable to chase down shooters behind the three-point line and was left scrambling on the defensive end of the floor.
Offensively, there were a handful of nights when Edey failed to finish shots at the rim. He still converted at a 58% rate and finished just 19 games with a shooting clip lower then 50%. Minimizing those errors will likely be a major focus this offseason, as well.
If there’s any fluorescent dye left in their highlighters, Edey’s critics might mark those last two paragraphs as reasons for continued doubt about his game. For the rest of us, it feels awfully nit-picky for a rookie who nearly averaged a double-double in the NBA.
Whether you’d like to admit it or not, Edey’s first season with the Grizzlies was a success. It wasn’t perfect, nor was it flawless. Even for a 7-foot-4 center, there are plenty of areas to grow.
But the thought that he can’t play in the NBA? Hopefully all that smoke has evaporated.
MAYER A TOP-50 PROSPECT: After re-ranking the top-50 prospects in the 2025 class, On3 tabbed Purdue basketball commit Omer Mayer as one of the best players in the cycle. CLICK HERE
THOMPSON KEEPS PURDUE IN TOP-15: Anthony Thompson, one of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class and a five-star prospect, has included Purdue among his top-15 options. CLICK HERE
BOILERS HEADED TO BAHAMAS: Purdue will break out the sunglasses and flip-flops this November, as the Boilermakers travel to the Bahamas to participate in a multi-team event. CLICK HERE
WADDELL HEADS TO BELLARMINE: Former Purdue forward Brian Waddell has revealed his transfer destination. The redshirt senior spent four seasons with the Boilers before entering the portal. CLICK HERE
