The NBA draft is less than a month away, and Zach Edey is getting ready. The big man just finished his senior year with Purdue, and he's now one of the names vying for a selection come June 26. If one were to be frank, he'll surely get drafted. After all, who would pass up on a 7-foot-4 prospect that recently led the Boilermakers to a National Championship appearance? Exaclty. Plus, Edey himself knows what he brings to the table. In a recent interview with NBA TV, the center spoke about what he plans to do to make an immediate impact in the league.
“Playing in the paint, that’s my game,” Edey said. “Being a physical presence in the paint, hitting people, making sure people feel me, getting rebounds, protecting the paint, posting up, getting my touches — it depends (on) what teams need me to do. I'm always gonna do what a team will ask me to do. I’m always gonna try to do what impacts winning.”
Zach Edey, the towering prospect
An anchor in the paint is definitely important to any team. Even the most guard-dominant squads need a tall, physical presence in the middle to swat shots and control the boards. If there's a prospect with potential to become that kind of player, it's Edey.
Still, the 22-year-old has a lot of doubters. Watching Edey play, many fans have voiced out the big man's lack of mobility and agility…and they're not exactly exaggerating.
Edey's game is the opposite of fast-paced. He takes his time, especially when backing opponents down the block. The center uses an old-school post-up game to set up his signature move — the hook shot. Simply speaking, Edey has the skillset of big men who played in the league more than a decade ago. This poses questions as to how he'll adjust in today's speedy, three-point-heavy game.
As a rookie, Edey definitely won't be getting as many touches as he had in college, especially with how offenses are highly centered around perimeter playmakers. He'll have to work his way and prove himself to the vets first. To do that, Edey can initially focus on the other things that he stated. Paint protection, rebounding, and physicality down low are good starting points. Whether his offense translates to the NBA or not is still a question mark, but at the end of the day, if Edey can use his length and frame to impact the game in other ways, then he'll be alright.
And who knows, maybe his offense might somehow flourish? Edey is still young, and youthful players have room to grow and develop. The NBA has had many stories of prospects who exceeded expectations and blossomed to heights that no one expected. Perhaps Zach Edey could be one of them.
Follow Us
Subscribe