Zach Edey is one of the most intriguing players in the upcoming NBA Draft . He was unquestionably one of the best players in the NCAA these past two seasons. However, while Zach's college basketball numbers are impressive, some camps don't think he will be able to carry the same success and dominance in the NBA.
Still, with Draft Night fast approaching, Edey's stock or just his reputation has gotten a boost after ESPN's draft expert Jonathan Givony gave him a pretty neat NBA player comparison.
"Zach Edey is clearly the second-best center in this draft after Donovan Clingan. I look at him and say 'What if Jonas Valanciunas was six inches taller?' That's what Zach Edey is to me," said Givony.
Edey started playing basketball late
The 7'4" Canadian is a two-time consensus All-American at Purdue. In four seasons with the Boilermakers, he averaged 18.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, including a dominant 25.2 PPG, 12.2 RBP, and 2.2 BPG senior season where he won a second straight College Player of the Year award.
"He's 7'5" in shoes, 7'11" wingspan, 9'7" standing reach, he dunks without jumping, he plays incredibly hard, he's physical, he's competitive, draws fouls at a ridiculous rate, he offensive rebounds at a ridiculous rate, he is the best screener in this draft which counts a ton in today's NBA with the way everybody plays pick and roll," he continued.
Meanwhile, Valanciunas was picked 5th overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2011 after dominating in the Lithuanian circuit. When he first entered the NBA, Valanciunas was considered a true post player, similar to what Edey is projected to be. However, because Jonas is six inches shorter and consequently lighter, he is faster and more agile than the Purdue product. The former lottery pick also had better range than Edey entering the NBA.
Valanciunas has been a solid starter in the NBA
Despite not being an All-Star, Valanciunas has been a pretty solid starting center in the NBA. He has completed 12 NBA seasons with career averages of 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He's also developed a three-point shot as he's grown older. But considering Zach played basketball late, what he is now is already impressive.
"We need to remember he's been playing basketball for six years," added Givony. "This guy was a baseball and hockey player, was everything but basketball. He's gotten better every year. His conditioning has improved…I think he's going to be awesome. I think he's going to be a starting center in the NBA."
In ESPN's latest mock draft , Edey is projected to go 15th to the Miami Heat overall. During his interview, however, Givony thinks Edey could go as high as No.9 to the Memphis Grizzlies. Well, we'll see how high Edey goes on Wednesday night when the 2024 NBA Draft takes place at the Barclays Center.
Related: "I'm always going to try to do what impacts winning" - Zach Edey on why teams should select him in this upcoming NBA Draft
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