A little shock occurred in the draft world when the Memphis Grizzlies, with 9 pick, chose the 2m24 (7-foot 4inches) Canadian center from Purdue.
Memphis has always taken picks that are a bit "secret" or pocket that only they see.
Zach Edey is a rather unusual player, for whom the team will have to adapt, or vice versa. But how can Edey be incorporated into the Grizzlies ?
First of all, let's take a look at synergy and more specifically at PLAY TYPES :
Zach Edey averages 13.7 possessions per game in a post-up configuration. All this for a success rate of 54%FG, placing him in the 85th percentile.
In contrast, the Canadian big man is a roll man only 8% of the time. In this setting, his success rate is an astonishing 82%FG (97th percentile).
Looking back at the post-ups, we find a rather interesting stat: Edey is much more at ease when he finishes his action with his left shoulder, thus using his right hand.
These clips show Edey's true strength. An unstoppable player when he gets into position and once he gets his footwork going, combined with a superb touch, a lethal weapon.
An average of 9 points per game, a pretty consistent volume.
By way of comparison, post-up possessions are twice as many as JOKIC (4.3) this season, despite having just been voted MVP.
We can also mention the fact that Zach Edey is the best NCAA rebounder (12.2 rebounds per game) with a 22% rebound rating, and even better the best rebounder in the history of the BIG TEN - 4th if we take all the NCAA since the 2000s.
With an average of 31 defensive rebounds per game, the Grizzlies rank 27th in the league. This is an area where Edey will be able to make an impact from the very first minutes, thanks to his physicality and his ability to draw all the rebounds towards him.
POSSIBLE USAGE WITH JA
First of all, with Ja Morant, the Grizzlies have one of the biggest drivers in the NBA.
The only problem is that, although Edey's success as a Roll Man is staggering, the volume remains rather low. Edey will therefore have to be brought in as an XXL screen setter for Ja, but he'll also have to be found in the post to exploit positive matchups.
Without being a big Canadian center fan, he's more than capable of punishing a bad switch or positive matchup, and Ja Morant has already had the opportunity to play with low aerial centers like Adams or Valanciunas.
If we look at the Memphis Grizzlies, they're 18th in the league on the volume of post-up possessions per game (20th last season). We can therefore see this figure rise to make the most of Edey's talent.
However, the Memphis Grizzlies' half-court offense ranks 25th, so it struggles when the game slows down.
Memphis was the 5th-ranked team in Pace in 2022-2023, with 20% of their shots coming in transition.
Concerning the Canadian center, he spends 1.8% of his time in transition, a low ratio of 0.4 possessions.
Zach Edey may well have solved the problems of half-court offense (98th percentile on half-court), but the Purdue big men is effective on very few schemes (post-up and offensive rebounding).
Looking back on the future duo with Ja, we mentioned that Ja has often played with rather "heavy" centers such as Steven Adams or Jonas Valanciunas.
These two experiences were effective on principle, but proved to be limited in the playoffs. Also, Edey's passing game is still rather unclear, but has improved greatly this season. Indeed, most of Zach's passes this season have come from double-teams in the post, rather than from short-roll or DHO sequences.
Edey's pass volume is low, but it's not nothing either. Thanks to his size, patience, and feel for the game, Zach Edey knows how to find his teammates when they're open. Zach Edey is the kind of big man who has no tunnel vision and who, even after an offensive rebound, will redirect the ball to the available shooters.
Purdue decided to reorganize its roster this season, with a lot more shooters and a lot more 3-point volume, and it paid off (Purdue lost in the March Madness finals this season).
But Memphis surely doesn't intend to organize its team with lots of shooters to have a heliocentric offense around Edey.
On the other hand, the offense revolves around an ultra-dynamic point guard like Ja Morant and the gravity of players like Bane or Jaren Jackson Jr.
FIT IN THE FRONTCOURT
Because of his size and lack of mobility, big Zach takes up a lot of space on the court. Edey won't bring any spacing to the pick-and-roll, as we can't find a possession in which the center is involved. If he's paired with Jaren Jackson Jr, his role will surely be to always roll straight to the basket.
It's easy to imagine a Spanish PnR with Jaren flashing a 3-pointer, Edey in the rim, and Ja able to make the right pass or get into the defensive gap.
Jaren Jackson Jr is a player who spends 14% of his time on post-up (16% the previous season with Ja), and it's hard to see Memphis offering post-up schemes to Edey and Jaren Jackson Jr.
To the detriment of his post-ups, JJJ will have to evolve as a true stretch when Edey is with him on the floor, given the lack of spacing offered by the Canadian pivot.
And if Edey evolves into a Santi Aldama-like center coming off the bench, I doubt he'll get as many possessions in the post as he did in his NCAA days.
DEFENSE
On Zach Edey's 16 possessions in isolation this season, we can see a player who rarely jumps into fakes and never contests without jumping. Edey is often outmatched by quick feet and abrupt changes of direction, given that he often defends on his heels.
In addition, NCAA players who have attacked Edey have often gone to the rim, whereas the Canadian pivot has difficulty playing on the perimeter.
It is estimated that Zach Edey will mostly defend on drop coverage sequences, with Jaren Jackson possibly in a roamer kind of role.
With Edey's mobility, it's difficult to see him playing in any defensive system other than pick-and-roll drop.
In another scheme, he could play in the zone, taking advantage of his great size and making a minimum of runs (3 possessions per game in the zone, 8th in the league in frequency).
While offensively his role remains fairly straightforward on theory, Edey will have to adapt to Memphis' transition game if he is to be useful. He could offer many solutions on the half-court thanks to his post-up qualities, but at the same time negatively impact the Grizzlies' spacing. There are lineups with JJJ, but this would reduce Jaren's role, as both players like to exploit positive matchups.
Morant will be able to have rather easy driving lines thanks to the big, wide screens Zach sets, plus Ja has often played with centers who frequently play " on the ground " with less mobility.
On defense, Edey will often be targeted for pick-and-rolls, and the only scheme we've seen him play in is drop coverage, although at a low volume.
Like Zubac, he can be useful in the regular season, but will be very difficult to use in the Playoffs.
The bottom line? A daring pick 9 from Memphis. Edey is, in theory, a good replacement for Steven Adams, but his qualities and problems are quite different.
He's a very special player who, in my opinion, remains extremely situational.
It's up to Jenkins to make the most of him in attack and make him a little useful in defense.