Zach Edey is one of the most intriguing prospects in recent memory. The Purdue product has emerged as one of the best players in college basketball over the past couple of years. However, he is not expected to be a top draft pick. So what is the latest on Edey's draft case?
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reports that the Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers are interested in the center. Memphis may even be interested in moving down in the NBA Draft to add value while still potentially selecting Edey. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers were also linked to him.
Edey is drawing interest, but he is expected to fall to the mid-first round or so. The Grizzlies have the No. 9 overall pick but may attempt to trade down in hopes that Edey will still be available. This would allow them to add more talent while still drafting Edey.
As mentioned, the Blazers may be open to selecting Edey if he is still available at No. 14 overall. It should be noted that the Jazz have the No. 10 pick while the Lakers have the No. 17 pick. The odds of Edey still being available after pick No. 17 in the draft are slim, but nothing is completely out of the question.
So why is Edey not a top-tier draft prospect? After all, this is a player who has drawn comparisons to Shaquille O'Neal.
Questions abut Zach Edey in the NBA
Edey is a terrific player. At 7'4, he is certainly an intimidating presence. There is concern about how he will fit into today's modern NBA, though.
The game today is reliant upon long-range shooting in a lot of ways. Being able to stretch the floor as a big man is important. Edey is a half-court player who scores the majority of his points in the post.
In the end, a player like Edey is going to bully his way into some points. Perhaps his greatest assets will be his rebounding and defensive ability. His size gives him the potential to become an elite NBA rim-protector. Edey should also not have much trouble recording impressive rebound statistics on a consistent basis.
He's going to be a valuable player in the league. The question is whether or not he can emerge as a star. And that will likely depend on if he can add enough offensive production to go along with his expected defensive and rebounding contributions.
The right fit will be especially important for Zach Edey. There are certain systems where a player like Edey can thrive, while he would struggle in others.
As mentioned earlier, Edey is an extremely intriguing prospect. It's difficult to make any predictions for his NBA career. He could shatter expectations and become a dominant paint scorer. But there is a possibility that Edey deals with offensive frustrations throughout his career.
At the moment, Edey is only focused on preparing for the draft. Which team do you think will select Zach Edey in the 2024 NBA Draft?
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