Zach Edey came into the league as one of its most polarizing prospects. Following a successful stint at Purdue, there were plenty of questions as to whether or not Edey’s game would translate to the NBA. Nonetheless, the Memphis Grizzlies valued what Edey brings to the table, selecting him with the ninth overall pick of this year’s draft. Moreover, they also named him as their opening night starter at center — a major show of faith.
However, even though the Grizzlies won their season opener against the Utah Jazz in thrilling fashion, 126-124, Edey did not do much in the way of contributing to their winning effort. He put up just five points and five rebounds, and he was limited to 15 minutes after he was plagued with foul trouble all night long — even racking up six fouls in his limited time on the court.
In so doing, Edey etched his name into the NBA’s history books with an ignominious feat that he would much rather forget. Per OptaSTATS on X (formerly known as Twitter), the Grizzlies rookie became the “only player since the NBA-ABA merger to start his NBA debut but foul out after playing 15 minutes or fewer”.
After an outstanding preseason, expectations were high for Edey, as it looks like his transition to the NBA will go much smoother than many fans initially anticipated. But it’s evident that Edey still has much to learn if he were to become the Grizzlies’ long-term starting center.
Once Edey becomes more acclimated to the speed of the NBA game, he’ll have fewer troubles getting into much better positions while anchoring the paint. Some of the fouls he was guilty of came as a result of his poor positioning, and that should improve with time.
Nevertheless, given how high the Grizzlies were on Edey, he will have to come around sooner or later especially with the team looking to get back into the thick of playoff contention.
Grizzlies’ center picture remains in flux
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With Zach Edey falling prey to inexperience in his debut for the Grizzlies, Memphis had to turn to their other center options off the bench to fill in. Brandon Clarke looked like the most likely player to log heavy minutes due to his defensive versatility, but his stock has clearly fallen off a cliff, and his performance against the Jazz did not help matters whatsoever. In the end, it was two-way center Jay Huff who stepped up as their best option at the five on Wednesday night.
Huff played 22 minutes and made some very valuable baskets for the Grizzlies when it mattered the most. He ended up with 13 points on 4-6 shooting from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arc, found money for a Memphis team that’s currently dealing with injury problems to Jaren Jackson Jr.
Perhaps Edey could become a more impactful space-taker in the paint once Jackson is back to roam around and help him out in protecting the rim. It’s unclear, however, when Jackson will be back, as he’s currently listed as doubtful for the Grizzlies’ next game, which will be against the Houston Rockets.