As we’re solely a month away from the beginning of the 2024-25 NBA marketing campaign, Purdue assistant coach Brandon Brantley warned the league that Zach Edey will dominate the paint for the Grizzlies. After being picked because the ninth total choice on this previous draft, many individuals nonetheless marvel if the seven-foot-four athlete will thrive within the massive stage.
Nonetheless, the reality is that the large man had already made a reputation for himself in school basketball. Only in the near past, Brantley was watching tv and noticed a sports activities television present snub the middle from their high 5 massive males heading into this subsequent season, and proceeded to inform his former pupil by means of a textual content message.
This was pure technique from Brandon. “I knew he was pissed off,” he admitted to The Business Attraction. “When he’s pissed off, he simply hits you with the ‘OK,’ however that OK has a lot hearth behind it.”
Ja Morant on Zach Edey:
“Undoubtedly Rookie of the Yr. I believe simple too.”
Edey made it by means of Ja’s low season coaching “boot camp” and Ja is de facto excited by what he noticed 🔥
One thing particular is brewing in Memphis👀🐻
pic.twitter.com/vXxrJ8jyZ5
— EdeyMuse (@EdeyMuse) September 21, 2024
“They’re simply not going to let Zach change off and get cooked the entire recreation,” Brantley continued. “It doesn’t work like that. It’s five-on-five.cHim doing this routine on a regular basis can be just like the equal of me and also you brushing our tooth day by day. He takes 12-foot hook pictures and makes them prefer it’s nothing.”
Edey is far more than only a seven-footer who can defend the rim, as he’s additionally produced a signature hook shot that has caught many individuals’s consideration, together with his teammates in Memphis. After figuring out every week with Ja Morant, that All-Star even proclaimed him the following Rookie of the Yr.
“Clearly he’s 7-4, however his contact, he was taking pictures the ball very properly,” the Grizzlies star mentioned, as he’s recovered from his personal harm and is worked up to hit the ground subsequent month. “Rookie of the yr is just about all I can say.”
Brantley, alternatively, simply can’t look ahead to the NBA to comprehend his potential. “Memphis goes to have a dude in that paint that’s going to carry that paint down,” he mentioned. “Normally guys that measurement will attempt to rebound their space. He rebounds exterior of his space. It means one thing to him.”
The Grizzles common supervisor known as him a ‘particular match’ for his crew and is satisfied that there are a lot of misconceptions round Edey’s recreation
Let’s bear in mind one thing, just a few months in the past Zach turned the primary participant in over 4 a long time to earn The Related Press’ mens’ school basketball participant of the yr award in consecutive seasons. His new common supervisor trusts this was their finest final result.
“Zach Edey is a very particular match [for the franchise],” mentioned Grizzlies’ Zach Kleiman throughout the NBA Draft in June. “In attending to know him, we’re speaking about somebody whose competitiveness is thru the roof, care issue is thru the roof. No ego, simply desires to win.”
Now we are able to solely wait to see how his freakishly massive measurement will translate to the NBA courts, as he will likely be one of many tallest gamers within the league this coming season. Final yr, Houston’s Boban Marjanovic, Phoenix’s Bol Bol and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama have been all listed at 7-foot-3 or taller.
Zach has loved regular progress all through his school years, averaging 22.3 factors and 12.9 rebounds as a junior, after which 25.2 factors and 12.2 rebounds throughout his senior season which took the Boilermakers all the best way to the NCAA title recreation in opposition to Connecticut.
