Mar 19, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) high fives teammates during introductions before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
At 7-foot-4, there’s little question why Memphis Grizzlies’ big man Zach Edey is one of the higher-profile rookies in the NBA.
Drafted at No. 9 overall, he was thought of to be the team’s center of the future, and he’s been just that having started in 47 of 56 games available. Along with fellow Grizzlies’ rookie Jaylen Wells, he’s been one of the more impactful newbies in the league, averaging 9.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game across his 20.6 minutes.
But Edey hasn’t been without his dry spells.
In a 10-game stretch to start 2025, he scored just 5.1 points per game on 48% shooting. And he’s seen his fair share of lulls in February and early March, too. Especially defensively.
As of late, though, Edey has again begun to find his productive streak, capped by a solid performance against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. Across his 21 minutes from the bench, he poured on a needed 15 points, with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Almost miraculously, he cashed in on both of his 3-point attempts and his all of his free throws.
The Grizzlies routed the Jazz by 37 points in total. Edey did nearly foul out with five fouls, but still managed to finish with a +11 plus-minus.
Memphis currently sits at No. 4 in the Western Conference, and is in a close battle with all of Los Angeles, Denver and Houston for seeding. The Grizzlies not only need Edey at his best to come away with the best possible regular season record, but they’ll also need him in tiptop shape for a potential postseason run.
With a more lumbering and dominant style, it remains to be seen whether Edey will be able to stay on-court when the going gets tough in the postseason. But each positive regular season game likely puts him a step closer to that goal.
With the 37-point win, the Grizzlies halted a three-game skid. They’ll next take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 27.
