Memphis Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey shows highs and lows in preseason debut vs Mavs

Ja Morant slithered down the baseline with a defender attached to his right hip, took two dribbles and floated a left-handed pass high in the air over three Dallas Mavericks defenders.

So high that the 7-foot-4 Zach Edey had to leave his feet to finish off a two-handed dunk on the alley-oop pass.

And there it was. The first connection of what should be many alley-oops from Morant to Edey. That was one of two lobs Edey caught from Grizzlies teammates. The other came from Luke Kennard in the Grizzlies' 121-116 preseason win Monday over the Dallas Mavericks.

Edey finished with six points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes. The rookie first-round pick showed glimpses of what he can bring to the Grizzlies, but there is also a lot to work on before the season starts Oct. 23.

Here are three takeaways from how Edey fared in his first Grizzlies preseason action.

Rebounding problem solver

Edey's assistant coach at Purdue, Brandon Brantley, told the Commercial Appeal that rebounding would be Edey's first skill to translate to the NBA, and it's easy to see why. Edey was active and hard to keep off the glass. Seven rebounds in 18 minutes will certainly trend closer to double digits when he starts playing more minutes.

Memphis was a mediocre rebounding team last season, but that should change if Edey plays big minutes. He held his own against a Mavs team with two starting-caliber centers.

Foul trouble issues

Edey stayed out of foul trouble most of his time at Purdue, but that wasn't the case Monday. The center picked up two quick fouls less than three minutes into the game and finished with five total. Memphis needs Edey on the floor, so he'll have to adjust better to staying out of foul trouble.

The fouls came in situations when he was a little too aggressive while trying to box out Mavs center Daniel Gafford, or when Dallas guards would get into the paint and Edey dropped his arms. Adjusting to the NBA spacing is something he has talked about, and that figures to be a key factor in his ability to limit fouls going forward.

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Defensive activity

The rebounding was just one piece of the puzzle. Edey showed signs of a highlight-making defender on multiple occasions. He easily swatted a ball on a drive to the basket for his only block, but he also got a steal after knocking a pass out of the air that was intended to go over his head.

Edey's conditioning will be important to monitor through the preseason. He had moments where he fouled players or wasn't in good defensive positioning. All in all, he held his own, and soon he'll have Jaren Jackson Jr. — currently sidelined by a hamstring injury — at his side to help clean up some of those rookie mistakes.

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com . Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey shows highs and lows in preseason debut vs Mavs