The Memphis Grizzlies stayed away from big free agent signings and trades this past offseason, opting to keep the core of last year’s roster intact. They did go big in the 2024 NBA Draft though, selecting 7’4 center Zach Edey with the ninth overall pick.

Despite averaging 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 39 games as a senior for Purdue, many questioned if Edey had the agility and quickness to make it in the NBA. He has put most of those doubts to rest through the first 10 regular season games of his career, averaging a decent 11.1 points and 6.7 rebounds.

After failing to reach double digits in scoring thrice across his first four games, Edey has bounced back in Memphis’ last six games where he has tallied at least 10 points in five of these contests. 

The best game of his NBA career so far came last week in the Grizzlies’ loss to the Brooklyn Nets. The 22-year-old Edey was a force on both ends of the floor, putting up 25 points on 11-of-12 field goal shooting, 12 rebounds, and four blocks in 28 minutes.

Edey delivered another strong outing just four days later in Memphis’ 128-104 blowout win against the Washington Wizards, decisively outperforming seven-foot forward Alex Sarr, who was drafted seven spots ahead of him as the second overall pick last June. The Grizzlies’ prized rookie contributed 14 points, including a three-pointer, along with eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks, while Sarr managed only eight points on three-of-11 shooting, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block.

What has helped Edey succeed so far in his young career is his attitude, as he plays with a combination of nastiness, tenacity, and confidence that translates into powerful moves and strong finishes. This has also manifested in a handful of altercations, yet for a young big man trying to make a name for himself in basketball’s most physical position, these incidents are more than welcome at this point in time.

Another thing about Edey that tends to get overlooked is his overall level of skill. Most players who are as tall as him are often stereotyped as “Just tall”, but he is a clear exception to this. His array of post moves is quite impressive and his court awareness is elite for a rookie. He has also shown that he can hit three-pointers and has already made three in his career so far.

Edey is shooting 50% on his three-point attempts so far and if he can continue to hit them at an efficient clip, it could pave the way for him to become a truly unstoppable force in the NBA.

The sky’s the limit for Memphis’ new center and the fact that he is playing for a team that has aspirations of making a deep run in the postseason should only help further his development. Edey is already an invaluable part of this physical Grizzlies team and his role will only grow as he gets fully up to speed with the pace of the NBA’s game.