Even after winning the college basketball National Player of the Year Award – two years in a row – few truly believed former Purdue Boilermakers big man Zach Edey’s success would translate at the NBA level.
Many argued he should be a second round pick – if picked at all – due to the fact that his playstyle is a remnant of a previous era: calling for the ball on the block, reading the defense, making a post move or two, and going up for a little hook shot in the paint.
Even after going No. 9 to the Memphis Grizzlies and playing well in a short stint in the Summer League, the doubters persisted. But now, after a dominant preseason performance – playing against legitimate NBA competition – Edey is finally starting to sway those same doubters.
Edey dropped 23 points with nine rebounds and one steal on 10-of-15 shooting in just 18 minutes of action, coming off the bench for the Grizzlies on Monday against the Pacers.
His otherworldly size, standing 7’4 and weighing 300 pounds, and remarkable durability forces opposing teams to adjust to his presence on the court, else he make quick work of defenders who can’t prevent him from catching the ball on the block.
Edey is also a quality free throw shooter who draws a ton of contact, and while he can be exploited in certain matchups defensively – his lateral mobility and incredible wingspan give him more of an advantage on that end of the floor than many realize.
The era of back-to-the-basket bigs dominating in the NBA – guys like Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Shaquille O’Neal – passed nearly two decades ago, replaced with versatile bigs who can also step out and space the floor and orchestrate an offense from the high post, a la Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Domantas Sabonis.
However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a spot at all for more traditional bigs, especially ones as skilled, durable, cerebral, and frankly, as huge as Edey is. On a team that has more mobile bigs in Jaren Jackson Jr and Brandon Clarke, Edey is a perfect change of pace big man who can dominate certain matchups while taking a backseat in others.
Edey is already the favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award, and in a draft class most felt was weak, it would not be a surprise to see the Purdue big man end up being the best player to come out of the class when all is said and done.