Zach Edey Sees Best Game Yet for Grizzlies

After a short injury stint spanning from mid-November to mid-December, Grizzlies center Zach Edey is well on his way to reclaiming Rookie of the Year-favorite status.

The 7-foot-4 No. 9 draft pick was sidelined for nearly a month due to a left ankle injury, but has quickly regained his footing in putting up the best game of his fresh career versus the Raptors on Thursday night.

Edey scored a team-high 21 points in the team’s 155-126 rout of Toronto. He shot an efficient 9-for-15, adding 16 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in finishing as a team-high +29 on the night, cementing the best game of his career.

The only real blemish for the former Boilermaker was his 1-for-5 3-point shooting, a trade off Memphis will likely take if it pays dividends down the line in the form of that being a weapon in his arsenal.

The game didn’t beat out his career high in points — which was 25 garnered in a close loss to Brooklyn earlier in the season — but he did find a new career-high in rebounds, as well as continued his trend of patented paint defense.

On the season, Edey has likely reclaimed the Rookie of the Year frontrunner status, averaging 11.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 60% overall.

His draft counterpart Jaylen Wells — who’s also been vital to Memphis’ efforts this season — played well against the Raptors too, adding 17 points on 50% 3-point shooting. 

While the 2024 NBA Draft wasn’t thought of to be a necessarily strong one, the Grizzlies scouting department helped the team leave with two at minimum rotation-level players, it seems.

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