Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins recently praised 2024 #9 pick Zach Edey as a player and person.
(via Memphis Grizzlies):
“He has so many traits as a player and as a person that we fell in love with. We’ve been watching him for a couple of years, and obviously, this process is always unique, you know, the draft process. But getting to know him, everything that he stands for, the progress he’s made as a player, four years at Purdue. He’s unlocked so much in his own individual game. There’s going to be things that we’re going to lean on that he was so successful with at the collegiate level, and we’re going to constantly challenge him to continue to adapt to the NBA game. He’s wired that way, so that’s the stuff, the makeup of the individual that we fell in love with. Obviously his size, in my opinion, things that he can do on the defensive side. We talk about anchoring our defense by protecting the paint, protecting the rim. That’s altering shots, blocking shots, being a quarterback out there, the vision, the way he can see the floor, communicate, rebounding.
“He’s got all those things already in his tool belt, and we’re just going to continue to grow his defensive versatility even more. And offensively, he’s got such a high IQ. Obviously, he’s dominated at the collegiate level the last couple of years, especially the last two years, in a lot of different fashions. That’s stuff that we’re going to lean into early in his career, but as he continues to grow his offensive game, the pick-and-roll game, the connectivity with our elite guards that we have already, putting the ball in his hands to be a scorer and a playmaker for us, the touch and the shooting that we’re going to continue to challenge him with. There’s so much in his game that we’re so excited about.”
