In his fourth preseason game, Memphis Grizzlies rookie center Zach Edey impressed with a 23-point and nine-rebound performance against the Indiana Pacers. The outing solidified Edey's status as the odds-on favorite to win the 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year award.
The panel on the Run it Back podcast discussed Zach's chances of winning next season's top rookie honors. While Chandler Parsons thought he deserved to be the favorite, Lou Williams was unsure if Edey could carry his preseason success into the regular season.
"I don't know if this translates against the AD and the Joker so young in his career," said 'Sweet Lou.' "Those are the guys that he is going to compete against. Not against the second-round picks and the G League guys that he's competing against in the preseason. It's just going to be different when that opening night opens up, and he gets to play against the real-deal all-stars in this league. I think it translates differently."
Lou Will thinks that Edey is too slow
Although he won back-to-back National Player of the Year awards at Purdue, the 7'4" Canadian was expected to be picked in the middle of the first round of June's NBA Draft. However, the Grizzlies surprised many by selecting him 9th, and Zach has impressed so far.
After an impressive Summer League debut, Edey has continued his strong play in the preseason. In four games played, he's averaged 13.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 54% from the floor in just 20.3 minutes per game of playing time. However, as 'Lou Will' noted, the big man was up against preseason-level competition. Williams also stated that Zach looked slow even against second-tier opposition.
"I'm just worried about the foot speed," added Lou. "I'm looking at this, and it's taking him a while to get to his bag. So, I'm sure they're gonna work with him. They're gonna try to speed those moves up, they're gonna try to make him more efficient around the rim. He's not gonna have the time to back guys down and all of this. By that time, you've got small guards digging down, and you got guys that's strong enough to hold him up."
A taller version of Valanciunas
While Edey doesn't have the athleticism of AD or the skill of Jokic, his game was never like theirs. Prior to the draft, ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony compared the former Purdue Boilermaker to a similarly unathletic and plodding but effective big man in Jonas Valanciunas.
"I look at him and say, 'What if Jonas Valanciunas was six inches taller?' That's what Zach Edey is to me," said Givony. "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."
Valanciunas may not have the superstar status of AD or Joker, but he has been a solid and serviceable big man for a dozen years in the NBA. Zach appears to be faster and more agile than Jonas, so he isn't really too slow. And given how the other rookies have struggled in preseason play, Edey might have enough to win ROY honors even if he is not Davis or Jokic.
Related: "History will likely show that where he was chosen in the draft was low" - Rick Carlisle praises Zach Edey after game vs. Pacers
Local News
Comments / 0