Allison Farrand-USA TODAY Sports
Memphis Grizzlies star floor general Ja Morant thinks highly of the team’s lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Zach Edey, and implied that he believes the big man can make a major impact in the league right away.
“Definitely rookie of the year,” Morant said of his expectations for Edey. “I think easily, too.”
Before the Grizzlies drafted him with the No. 9 overall pick, Edey dominated both sides of the ball with Purdue University during the 2023-24 college basketball season. He led the nation in points (25.2) and was second in rebounds (12.2) per game while also scoring the ball with superb efficiency. He shot 62.3 percent from the floor on 13.8 field-goal attempts per game in his fourth and final season playing at the collegiate level.
Unfortunately for fans of the Grizzlies, Edey saw his stint in Las Vegas Summer League get cut short due to an ankle injury. He only played one game in the Nevada city, and he finished with six points, three rebounds and one block against the New Orleans Pelicans before he had to exit the contest.
Still, Edey has an impressive skill set for a player of his stature, and head coach Taylor Jenkins could turn to the 22-year-old quite a bit in the upcoming 2024-25 season when considering that the Grizzlies aren’t loaded with depth at the center spot.
Steven Adams — who was the Grizzlies’ starting center for 117 combined games during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 regular seasons — is no longer a member of the squad after Memphis traded him to the Houston Rockets in February.
Outside of Edey, it’s debatable as to whether the Grizzlies have a true center on their roster that could give them productive minutes. The Grizzlies have center Jay Huff signed to a two-way deal, but he has yet to prove himself to be an NBA-caliber player despite the fact that he has already played for multiple teams in the league.
According DraftKings, Edey is the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, so perhaps Morant’s expectations for Edey aren’t unfounded.
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