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    • Analyzing Memphis Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey’s preseason debut
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    Analyzing Memphis Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey’s preseason debut

    Idris Bevan Posted on

    Ja Morant slid down the baseline with a defender on his right hip, took two dribbles and floated a left-handed pass high in the air over three Dallas Mavericks defenders.

    So high that 7-foot-4 Zach Edey had to leave his feet to complete a two-handed dunk on the alley-oop pass.

    And there it was. The first connection, of which there should be many on the road from Morant to Edey. That was one of two lobs Edey intercepted from Grizzlies teammates. The other came from Luke Kennard in the Grizzlies’ 121-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

    Edey finished the game with six points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes. The rookie first-round pick gave glimpses of what he can bring to the Grizzlies, but there’s also still a lot of work to be done before the season.

    Here are three takeaways from how Edey performed in his first preseason appearance for the Grizzlies.

    Rebound problem solver

    Edey’s assistant coach at Purdue, Brandon Brantley, told Commercial Appeal that rebounding was Edey’s first skill that he would transfer to the NBA, and it’s easy to see why. Edey was active and difficult to keep away from the glass. Seven rebounds in 18 minutes will certainly be closer to double figures if Edey plays more minutes. Memphis was a mediocre rebounding team last season, but that should change with Edey playing big minutes. He held his own against a Mavs team with two starting-caliber centers.

    Foul problems

    Edey stayed out of foul trouble for most of his time at Purdue, but that wasn’t the case Monday. The center committed two quick fouls less than three minutes into the game and finished the game with a total of five fouls. Memphis needs Edey on the field, so he needs to be more prepared to avoid foul trouble. The fouls came, for example, when he was a little too aggressive when trying to box out Mavs center Daniel Gafford, or when the Dallas guards got caught in the air and Edey dropped his arms. Adjusting to NBA spacing is something Edey has talked about and that appears to be a key factor in his ability to limit fouls going forward.

    Sigh of relief: Grizzlies’ Ja Morant gives a positive update after leaving the game against the Mavs due to injury

    Defensive activity

    The rebound was just one piece of the puzzle. Edey showed signs of being an outstanding defender on several occasions. On the drive to the basket, he easily hit the ball for his only block, but also got a steal after throwing a pass out of the air that was supposed to go over his head. It will be important to monitor Edey’s conditioning during pre-season. There were moments when he fouled players or was not well positioned defensively. All in all, Edey has held his own and will soon have Jaren Jackson Jr. by his side to help him correct some of his rookie mistakes.

    Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

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    Idris Bevan
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