The Memphis Grizzlies had a rough 2023-24 NBA season. The campaign began with their All-Star point guard, Ja Morant, serving a 25-game suspension for detrimental conduct. It immediately stunted the team’s momentum as they went just 6-19 in that span.
Morant provided a spark as soon as he returned, but a torn labrum ended his season after just nine games. Things then just got worse and worse as Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, and Brandon Clarke also got hurt and missed a combined 178 contests. Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. was the “healthiest” in the bunch, yet he too sat out 16 times.
As one would expect, it plummeted the Grizzlies. They finished 13th in the Western Conference at 27-55, a sizable difference from their 51-31 and 56-26 records in the two prior seasons.
On the bright side, however, the Grizzlies got the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which gave them a good chance to reload on talent while they reshape into form. The front office used it to address a need, selecting Purdue University giant Zach Edey.
With big men usually having less value in the modern game, Edey’s college dominance didn’t generate much buzz outside of the NCAA. He was only projected to go in the second round until about two weeks left before the draft, all despite leading Purdue to a 63-11 record during his junior and senior years, winning back-to-back National Player of the Year awards, and averaging huge numbers.
- 2022-23 (Junior): 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 60.7 FG%
- 2023-24 (Senior): 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, 62.3 FG%
What helped a lot was the Dallas Mavericks racing into the 2024 NBA finals while having two bigs in the rotation, one of which was promising rookie Dereck Lively II, the 12th overall pick last year. It boosted the intrigue among centers, particularly Edey, and for the Grizzlies, it just made sense to plug his skill set alongside Jackson Jr.
Edey is a mammoth standing at 7’4, blessed with good potential to have Rudy Gobert type of impact while also boasting better offensive abilities and instincts. He can make a living in the pick-and-roll or the paint while his teammates spread the floor.
Once he gains defenses’ respect, we can only imagine how wide open things will be for Morant, Jackson Jr., Bane, and the rest of the guys. Don’t forget that the Grizzlies found diamonds in the rough in recent second-round picks GG Jackson and Vince Williams, who could be good alongside Edey.
We’ve seen some preview during this week’s Summer League vs. the Utah Jazz:
He not only flexed the different facets of his game and stuffed the statsheet, he also showcased some attitude that’s right in tune with the Grizzlies’ bravado. Through such a fit, we may see him deep in the playoffs as a rookie, which is always an interesting watch, as seen this year with Lively II for the Mavs and Chet Holmgren for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
So yeah, Gear up for the Grizz’s impending return as one of the West’s contenders.
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