Demon Edey

Zach Edey Player Profile and Fit with the Memphis Grizzlies

Zach Edey

Age: 22 - 7’4 - 300 Lbs

Purdue - 9th Overall Pick (MEM)

Base Stats

25.2 PPG - 12.2 TRB - 2.0 AST - 2.3 TOV - 2.2 BLK - 62.3 FG% - 71.1 FT%

Advanced Stats

65.9 TS% - .809 FTr - 25.4 DRB% - 18.1 ORB% - 6.9 BLK% - 15.5 BPM - 33.4 USG%

Zach Edey is one of the more controversial players in the 2024 NBA Draft. He was all over the place on big boards among experts and draft indulgers. The 7’4 big was taken 9th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies and projects to be the starter next to Jaren Jackson Jr. to sure-up the frontcourt. I love this fit for Edey and believe it matches both sides. Let me explain why. 

Scoring

Edey was the most prolific scorer in college basketball last year. His 25.2 points per game on 65.9 Ts% is good for one of the most impressive scoring seasons in the modern era. Edey’s .809 free-throw rate is incredibly high and a great indicator of his translation for the league. 

Contrary to popular belief, Edey gets his scoring done in more than one way. It is undeniably true that Edey is a ridiculous post-up scorer with elite touch, shooting 79.6% at the rim. Edey dominated in the post on high volume and saw double and triple teams on nearly every possession. The gravity itself is a ridiculous marker, but it also shows how unstoppable he truly was, having high efficiency on high volume. His strength and coordination are extremely rare for a player his size, allowing him to have a large post radius where he can catch it nearly anywhere inside the arc and get to work. His counters in the post are another positive indicator, as he has a soft touch, can score over either shoulder and is contact-welcoming. 

Indeed, the NBA shies away from post-ups compared to older eras, but that doesn’t mean they are dead. This is because, typically, post-ups aren’t highly efficient shots, but with the upper echelon of post scorers, they are. I believe this to be true with Edey. Not only is he extremely efficient scoring out of the post, but he will likely have pretty glaring gravity. He also projects to be a ridiculous switch-beater for any team that dares to switch against him. 

Now to the other area I expect Edey to thrive in: roll-man. Edey’s roll stats aren’t high in volume (they are in efficiency), but there's a pretty good explanation. For one, Edey wasn’t playing with the most prolific pick-and-roll guards. Secondly, he would roll into the paint, creating post angles, but they wouldn't be credited as roll stats. Edey’s tape shows there should be no problem with him being a great roll big and a short roller with his IQ. Edey is used to dealing with two or three defenders as soon as he makes contact with the ball or even before; I don’t expect him to struggle much with making quick decisions, even if there will be a bit of a learning curve. 

Off-Ball

Edey had a ridiculously high usage rate in college at 33.4%, and many have concerns about him scaling down. I don’t have this same concern. To start, Edey is the best screen-setter in his class. His size, positioning, and understanding of screening angles are what differentiate him. I mean, he is 7’4 300+ pounds; it's extremely hard for a defender to navigate that. Edey should be a monster screen assister for Memphis.

Speaking of assists, I think Edey is a pretty solid passer. Clocking in at a 14.6 AST%, Edey doesn’t do anything advanced, but Purdue didn’t ask that of him, and he won’t ever need to. Once again, mentioning this, but with the amount of attention, he got, having only a 12.6 TOV% is impressive and gave him many reps of decision-making that will pay dividends for his passing development. At worst, he projects to be secure with the basketball against coverages and able to hit shooters, even if he can’t always punish defenses optimally with the attention he garners. Purdue also used him at times to initiate actions, using him as a handoff and as a DHO big. He should be able to thrive in Zoom and delay actions. 

Onto a more obvious section of his game, offensive rebounding. With his size, strength, and positioning, Edey held an 18.1 OREB%, which was good for third in the country. I can’t put into words how important securing extra possessions at the rate he does will be in the league. 

Edey is quite literally elite-generational at multiple facets of the game offensively. I can’t imagine a world where he isn’t a sizable plus in the NBA. 

Defense 

This is where things can get a bit concerning regarding Edey. The 0.5 STL% is flat-out bad and can say a good amount about his mobility. The positive side of things is his 6.9 BLK% and being 7’5 with a 7’10 wingspan, which is a good sign regarding rim protection. His 25.5 DRB% is good for ending possessions as well. Edey mainly played in drop at Purdue, and this will likely be the same during his time in Memphis. I don’t expect him to be a versatile defender, but I think there will be some matchups where his size will allow him to be ok on the perimeter if he is cross-matched or switched. Edey has made noticeable functional and athletic strides year to year and clearly has time to grow. Adjusting, he may have to be given a grace period, but overall, I trust him to be a good drop big and believe highly in his size, close-quarter mobility, and IQ. 

Fit with Memphis

I am so happy this is where Edey got drafted; I love the fit. Memphis lost Steven Adams, who undeniably was an elite screener and helped Ja Morant's efficiency. So, they went out and got the class's best screener and adds far more versatility. Edey’s screening will tremendously benefit Ja’s driving and Bane’s pull-up shooting. Ja’s driving will also benefit Edey, as paint shots can easily gather offensive rebounds. Playing next to Jaren Jackson Jr., who likes to play on the perimeter often as a spacer/shooter, will allow Edey to create looks for him and have a pretty clear paint. Edey will also help an offense that needs more juice, being a switch-beater, which will force teams to pick their poison regarding Ja x Edey PnRs. Another facet of the offense that Memphis can go to is using Edey as a DHO/handoff big and use Ja off-ball to get him downhill effectively. 

The last time the Grizzlies were healthy, they had a 110.7 defensive rating (before they added former DPOY Marcus Smart), which was third in the NBA in 2023. The Grizzlies' identity is their defense, so dropping Edey into that won’t be a problem. I don’t see a world where Edey hurts their defense enough that they won’t need his offensive juice. Frankly, I think he’ll be good in the drop role, and even if he isn’t great, Memphis has the POA defenders and screen navigators to make Edey’s life easier. It also helps to have Jaren Jackson Jr. on the backline, who is widely regarded as a top-10 defender able to help Edey in most situations. 

I am incredibly happy about this pairing between Zach Edey and the Memphis Grizzlies, and I expect Edey to be one of the most productive rookies in the Rookie of the Year talks.