Ware
- Thread starter edub72
- Start date
Shooting in workouts and shooting against defense are two different things. He's not even fast enough to get a shot off,the only reason he could is because of size. Even then,he wouldn't shoot a high % against defense. 4 years tells you that.
Steven Adam's injury hurt the team more than Ja's absence. This was a no brainer once Oastertag went to Portland.
HoosierJimbo didn’t you once post that Edey scored over 20 points a game only because he is big?? Maybe the NBA thinks differently
If Edey was allowed to shoot 3s in college it would have been a really bad job of coaching by Painter . While I’m an IU fan , I do believe coach Painter is a very good coach , so there was no way Edey was going to be shooting 3s at PU . As for Edey banking in a 3 , it doesn’t mean he is a good 3 point shooter , it just means he missed it so bad that it went in . I hope Edey makes it in the NBA , because a former student of mine became a good friend of his at Purdue , and he said he is a really good person , and friend.
Quite a feather in ware’s cap as well as Woody’s.
To transform a skinny low motor low prospect kid to the 15th pick in one season is amazing
Hard work and good coaching
If Edey wasn't allowed to shoot 3's, it was because Painter saw him try in practice and told him to never do that in a game. Painter is a good coach, so he easily surmised that Edey was only effective from 3' and closer. If Edey was bombing 3's in practice regularly, then being the good coach that Painter is, he'd have used that to his advantage. We never saw Edey shoot 3's cause Painter knew he couldn't shoot 3's. It's really that simple.
At Edey at 8 to the Spurs? Yes, we laughed. Even Memphis tried to trade up from 9 to get Clingan, but they wouldn't pay what it cost to move and decided to stay put and settle for Edey. Going top 10 means that Edey is going to be expected to start next to Jackson and play major minutes as a rookie. 20+ easily. We will all find out real soon if he's a bust or not, cause he's going to start from day 1 imo.
VanPastorMan
Hall of Famer
I hope Ware can have a good career and that he continually says,"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for IU".
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C
Grade: D
Edey can come in right away as a backup center and has the best post-up game out of any center in the draft, averaging 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game last season. His limitations are in the pick-and-roll, where only 8% of his made baskets came in that set, and defensively he doesn't have the foot speed to guard the switch, forcing him to be more of a drop coverage center.-Yahoo Sports opinion
“I think there is a lot that Zach brings to the table. Obviously was successful as a post up heavy big. As a screen setting, a creator of space, as a post of set, someone’s got to guard him. Thanks significant, that’s a weapon we have now. As an offensive rebounder, I think that’s significant. As a role threat to the basket, Ja has a way of finding guys and you’ve got some size for Ja to find now. That’s a pairing we are very excited about. And Zach has a chance to shoot as well. He’s been a good free throw shooter, not just this year, he’s been a solid free throw shooter, certainly for someone of his size for 4 years now. We’ve seen him put in the work, we haven’t seen it in games yet. I think he has potential to be a shooter as well.” - Zach Kleiman
I’m going to trust Zach over some random yahoo writer.
Zach Kleinman wiki He's a lawyer and the VP of bball for Memphis, which you conveniently left out so I added it above for you, but I don't see talent scout or evaluator anywhere? He's never held that role with any NBA team. He started as the "general counsel" for them. Of course he's going to say positive things about the guy he just drafted 9th. There is nothing impartial about his opinion.
Kyrsten Peek is an NBA draft analyst for Yahoo and she works for Rivals as a talent evaluator. She doesn't hate purdue and has no axe to grind with Edey. She's just doing her job impartially.
Per usual you didn't make the point you thought you were going to make with your post.
Why does everyone pronounce Wares first name wrong? It's not that difficult. It's not Keel leel it's KEL EL. Exactly how it's spelled.
Even the commissioners ****ed it up.
Even the commissioners ****ed it up.
ESPN Insider - Call it now: Predict Zach Edey's rookie stat line
Pelton: I think 20 MPG is a reasonable guess for Edey now that the Memphis Grizzlies invested the No. 9 pick to take him as their center of the future. I'd bet on Edey averaging something similar to the 21 points and 13.7 rebounds per 36 minutes Boban Marjanovic averaged in his prime, which would translate to about 12 PPG and 7.5 RPG with let's say 1 BPG.Woo: I think Kevin is on the right track with that production -- I expect the Grizzlies to get veteran help -- but I also think Edey might be able to handle more minutes than that, considering the heavy workload he successfully had at Purdue. Memphis has the perfect partner for him in Jaren Jackson Jr., who excels protecting the paint and covering ground on the weak side and should be able to cushion Edey defensively.
I'll bet Edey will be one of the league's most efficient centers -- I think he'll be a load in the paint right away -- but my bigger question is simply how he fits with Ja Morant, who likes to play at a wide-open pace that isn't necessarily Edey's optimal setting.
I think the Boban comp is pretty spot on myself.
A rivals talent evaluator? Is she the one that had Ivey 99 and Edey 446?
I made my point. It was that the grizzlies plan to use him in pick n roll it seems. I wasn’t trying to defy your stat. A stat is a stat. Kind of like Edeys defense. It can be questioned because we haven’t seen it, but was it because Purdue was protecting him or because he cannot.
If I was wanting to try and battle that point, I’d just present this.
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I'm not a Purdue fan, I'm just right more times than not with player evaluation. It gets harder every year but most winning teams have a formula. All of the Memphis teams that have been successful had an enforcer in the middle. Marc Gasol, Steve Adams etc. When you compare Edey and Clingen I don't see that it's even close. Edey is a rare 7'4" in that he is durable, can close games at the line and give you 35+ minutes a night. For a team that covets a traditional 5 as an anchor, they hit the jackpot. If at some point his body starts breaking down it will be over pretty quick at that weight but I don't see that happening. I wish he had Steve Adam's there to mentor him a bit but he'll be on an all-rookie team non the less.
He also seems to be quicker than Clingan. I really didn’t understand the Clingan is better than Edey debate other than Clingan is younger. But I’m biased as well. Lol
In actual game settings, Clingan has shown:
-the ability to guard out to the perimeter
-the ability hedge high ball screens/recover defensively
-the ability to protect the rim at a much higher rate
-the ability to run the floor on both ends
-the ability to play in multiple spots offensively in the half court
-the ability to play in PnR offensively
Memphis tried to trade up to get Clingan instead of Edey. Not a single NBA GM saw Edey as a better pick than Clingan. Not one. The team that drafted him, and who needed a C more than any other team in the draft, settled for Edey. Try again Mr not a purdue fan
There are 2 NBA analysts that get paid to evaluate talent that I have quoted in here and both questioned his ability to be effective in the pick and roll. The Grizzlies GM likes him, and you led with that. He's a lawyer btw. Here are some more draft reactions:
9. Memphis Grizzlies — Zach Edey, C, Purdue
Grade B+: Another major surprise. Few projections had the two-time National Player of the Year going this high. Clearly, Memphis isn’t concerned about the 7-foot-4 Edey’s lack of foot speed and is taking a risk that he can adjust to the fast-paced, more spread-out NBA.Grade: B+
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey
The two-time college National Player of the Year lands in the top 10 of the draft, with Memphis taking him at No. 9 after reportedly exploring trades to land Clingan. Edey going top 10 will certainly be polarizing, but his film from his senior year makes a strong case he’ll carve out a useful role in the NBA. His mobility remains a question, but Edey’s ability to punish smaller defenders, dominate the glass and protect the rim in drop coverage gives him a path to useful rotation minutes early for a Grizzlies team that needed size and is hoping to get back in the postseason picture.9. Memphis Grizzlies: C Zach Edey, Purdue
This is a pick where beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nobody cares what Edey did in college in terms of Edey's decorated trophy case. But they do care about your rate of improvement -- and Edey improved every single year. He's massive, so big that it can actually hurt him on defense because he will be attacked on ball screens. But he's massive, he's a worker and he's improving every single day. And he fits: Edey is the best screener in the draft, and Ja Morant loves running a pick-and-roll. Grade: B
Memphis Grizzlies: B
Zach Edey (9)
The best player in college basketball last season landed with a team that needs help at his position. Memphis dealt Steven Adams at the deadline last season, so Brandon Clarke and Trey Jemison will be the only other center options for the Grizzlies alongside Edey. There’s a real chance that he plays a massive role in year one, which bodes well for his fantasy value. He may not be an elite player in the long term, but there aren’t many rookies that landed in a better spot to contribute in year one.
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C
Grade: D
Edey can come in right away as a backup center and has the best post-up game out of any center in the draft, averaging 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game last season. His limitations are in the pick-and-roll, where only 8% of his made baskets came in that set, and defensively he doesn't have the foot speed to guard the switch, forcing him to be more of a drop coverage center.9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, Purdue
- Grade: C-
Memphis does need a center after trading Steven Adams to the Rockets last season but Edey felt attainable much later in the draft. This isn't a knock on Edey as an NBA prospect — he made strides to improve weaknesses like his conditioning and mobility — but he still has clear limitations beyond scoring right at the rim.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIESB-
Big Dawg. The Big Butter Tart. The Notorious TTC. (Don’t mind me, just workshopping here.) Edey needs no introduction. The back-to-back national college player of the year is almost larger than life, and the latest test case for how much mileage a modern NBA team can get out of a historically dominant offensive giant in one of the fastest eras of basketball. The only player taller and with a longer wingspan than Edey is Victor Wembanyama—and he’s nearly 100 pounds lighter. Memphis needed a big man in the worst way—it seemed likely that it’d trade up to land a dominant anchor like Clingan. Instead, the Grizzlies go even bigger, albeit with a more difficult projection. There will always be concerns about how Edey fares defending in space, but a player of his size, skill, and touch ought to be able to produce in small, concentrated bursts off the bench at the very least. We will be watching with great interest.
9. Memphis Grizzlies, Zach Edey, C, Purdue
Edey is an outlier among these prospects. He's the tallest (7 feet, 4 inches tall), longest (7 feet, 11 inch wingspan), and biggest (299 pounds) player in the draft. He's an intimidating presence in the paint on both ends but could be exposed as a perimeter defender.Grade: C. Edey will help what was the second-worst shooting team in the league from inside the arc last year and Jaren Jackson Jr. eases concerns on defense. But this seems a bit high given the glut of wings who could help the team alongside the guard corps of Ja Morant, Marucs Smart, and Desmond Bane.
9.
The Grizzlies tried to trade up for Donovan Clingan. They couldn’t, so they’ve committed this reach. Wow. You could argue that this deserves a Millen grade, but Zach Edey at least fills a big need. He easily could have gone 10 picks later than this.
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C, Purdue
Many have wondered whether Zach Edey's throwback interior game would fit in the modern NBA. The Grizzlies, who had a Steven Adams-sized hole to cover at the 5, apparently didn't share that concern.A two-time men's college basketball National Player of the Year, Edey brings both incredible size (7'4", 299 lbs) and incredible stats (23.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks over the past two seasons) to the NBA.
Does he have enough modern enhancements to survive at this level, though?
He is a good mover for his size, but his movements are heavy by NBA standards. Can he defend in space? Can he make enough jumpers to not be left alone away from the basket? If he adds enough value on the perimeter to not be schemed off the floor, he could be an asset given his interior activity, post skill and sheer size.
Memphis might have just come out of a draft that no one seemed to love with a new starting center, but it also may have spent a top-10 pick on someone who gets schemed off the floor in the playoffs. Stay tuned.
Grade: C-
9 — Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey (Senior, C)
Grade: B-
The Grizzlies only had one option: fill their center rotation. In Edey, they get the back-to-back National Player of the Year. He will instantly fix the Grizzlies’ rebounding issues. Conditionally he’s in superb shape where it’s likely that he can play heavier minutes in the NBA while starting around 20 to 25 per game. With one of the best defenders in the league in Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies add another defensive anchor to the mix.His role will consist of a play-finisher while bullying mismatches in the post. With the Grizzlies rim pressure and quick execution, they can afford to not focus on transition basketball and approach a halfcourt-heavy scheme which is needed to properly use Edey.
Memphis Grizzlies
Typically, when I have a player at No. 17 on my board and they go No. 9, I’m going to think that a mistake was made somewhere along the way. Indeed, if I were running the Grizzlies, I would have loved to have moved up and selected Donovan Clingan at either No. 5 or No. 6. But it takes two to tango, and it seems like the price points on those two picks were just too high.Instead, they went with Zach Edey, the monster 7-foot-4 center from Purdue who has polarized the basketball world all season. He’s as dominant a force as we’ve seen in college basketball in the last two decades because of his height. He rebounds everywhere, improved drastically in drop coverage throughout his career in ball-screen coverage, and can establish position against almost anyone. I think the latter point is the key. I think Edey is so big and so strong that he’s very likely to continue being able to establish his spot anywhere. That’s going to make him, at the very least, a productive NBA player. Maybe he does settle in as a backup who is just an absolute monster to deal with. But I think there’s more room for high-end outcomes than other people expect, too.
He was the next true center on my board after Clingan was selected. And with the roster crunch that the Grizzlies currently have, I think they were probably more set on the center position than other teams may have been, given how essential that need was for them to keep Jaren Jackson Jr. in his preferred role at power forward.
So why was I a bit lower at No. 17? I just worry a bit about what Edey will be able to do in the playoffs. I think teams will likely be pretty aggressive trying to matchup hunt him in those settings, and probably will have more success doing that than will allow him to stay on the court for bundles of minutes. But with Jackson in tow already as well as Brandon Clarke as he gets back into playing shape following his Achilles injury, the team already has some real frontcourt versatility.
I’m not saying the pick is a home run. But I think it’s entirely defensible given Memphis’ situation. They’re an organization that unequivocally marches to the beat of their own drum come draft time. Sometimes it works (G.G. Jackson looks like an enormous hit already) and sometimes it doesn’t (David Roddy was a surprise that is already no longer with the team).
I just searched "2024 NBA Draft Grades" and posted the Edey ratings. Nobody but the Grizzlies GM awarded an A for the pick, and he's the one that made it. 🤣
Exactly, Clingan has a much much broader game. He is a Basketball Player rather than a big slow center with limited mobility especially defensively. I will say that Edy worked hard and improved his footwork in the paint where he made his living in college.
I agree he still needs work to develop, but he’s likely to continue to develop. That’s what they are banking on. He’s made tangible progress all 6 years he’s played ball.There are 2 NBA analysts that get paid to evaluate talent that I have quoted in here and both questioned his ability to be effective in the pick and roll. The Grizzlies GM likes him, and you led with that. He's a lawyer btw. Here are some more draft reactions:
9. Memphis Grizzlies — Zach Edey, C, Purdue
Grade B+: Another major surprise. Few projections had the two-time National Player of the Year going this high. Clearly, Memphis isn’t concerned about the 7-foot-4 Edey’s lack of foot speed and is taking a risk that he can adjust to the fast-paced, more spread-out NBA.
Grade: B+
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey
The two-time college National Player of the Year lands in the top 10 of the draft, with Memphis taking him at No. 9 after reportedly exploring trades to land Clingan. Edey going top 10 will certainly be polarizing, but his film from his senior year makes a strong case he’ll carve out a useful role in the NBA. His mobility remains a question, but Edey’s ability to punish smaller defenders, dominate the glass and protect the rim in drop coverage gives him a path to useful rotation minutes early for a Grizzlies team that needed size and is hoping to get back in the postseason picture.
9. Memphis Grizzlies: C Zach Edey, Purdue
This is a pick where beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nobody cares what Edey did in college in terms of Edey's decorated trophy case. But they do care about your rate of improvement -- and Edey improved every single year. He's massive, so big that it can actually hurt him on defense because he will be attacked on ball screens. But he's massive, he's a worker and he's improving every single day. And he fits: Edey is the best screener in the draft, and Ja Morant loves running a pick-and-roll. Grade: B
Memphis Grizzlies: B
Zach Edey (9)
The best player in college basketball last season landed with a team that needs help at his position. Memphis dealt Steven Adams at the deadline last season, so Brandon Clarke and Trey Jemison will be the only other center options for the Grizzlies alongside Edey. There’s a real chance that he plays a massive role in year one, which bodes well for his fantasy value. He may not be an elite player in the long term, but there aren’t many rookies that landed in a better spot to contribute in year one.
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C
Grade: D
Edey can come in right away as a backup center and has the best post-up game out of any center in the draft, averaging 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game last season. His limitations are in the pick-and-roll, where only 8% of his made baskets came in that set, and defensively he doesn't have the foot speed to guard the switch, forcing him to be more of a drop coverage center.
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, Purdue
The Grizzlies have made a major reach for Edey inside the top 10.
- Grade: C-
Memphis does need a center after trading Steven Adams to the Rockets last season but Edey felt attainable much later in the draft. This isn't a knock on Edey as an NBA prospect — he made strides to improve weaknesses like his conditioning and mobility — but he still has clear limitations beyond scoring right at the rim.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIESB-
Big Dawg. The Big Butter Tart. The Notorious TTC. (Don’t mind me, just workshopping here.) Edey needs no introduction. The back-to-back national college player of the year is almost larger than life, and the latest test case for how much mileage a modern NBA team can get out of a historically dominant offensive giant in one of the fastest eras of basketball. The only player taller and with a longer wingspan than Edey is Victor Wembanyama—and he’s nearly 100 pounds lighter. Memphis needed a big man in the worst way—it seemed likely that it’d trade up to land a dominant anchor like Clingan. Instead, the Grizzlies go even bigger, albeit with a more difficult projection. There will always be concerns about how Edey fares defending in space, but a player of his size, skill, and touch ought to be able to produce in small, concentrated bursts off the bench at the very least. We will be watching with great interest.
9. Memphis Grizzlies, Zach Edey, C, Purdue
Edey is an outlier among these prospects. He's the tallest (7 feet, 4 inches tall), longest (7 feet, 11 inch wingspan), and biggest (299 pounds) player in the draft. He's an intimidating presence in the paint on both ends but could be exposed as a perimeter defender.
Grade: C. Edey will help what was the second-worst shooting team in the league from inside the arc last year and Jaren Jackson Jr. eases concerns on defense. But this seems a bit high given the glut of wings who could help the team alongside the guard corps of Ja Morant, Marucs Smart, and Desmond Bane.
9.Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C, Purdue – D Grade
The Grizzlies tried to trade up for Donovan Clingan. They couldn’t, so they’ve committed this reach. Wow. You could argue that this deserves a Millen grade, but Zach Edey at least fills a big need. He easily could have gone 10 picks later than this.
9. Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey, C, Purdue
Many have wondered whether Zach Edey's throwback interior game would fit in the modern NBA. The Grizzlies, who had a Steven Adams-sized hole to cover at the 5, apparently didn't share that concern.
A two-time men's college basketball National Player of the Year, Edey brings both incredible size (7'4", 299 lbs) and incredible stats (23.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks over the past two seasons) to the NBA.
Does he have enough modern enhancements to survive at this level, though?
He is a good mover for his size, but his movements are heavy by NBA standards. Can he defend in space? Can he make enough jumpers to not be left alone away from the basket? If he adds enough value on the perimeter to not be schemed off the floor, he could be an asset given his interior activity, post skill and sheer size.
Memphis might have just come out of a draft that no one seemed to love with a new starting center, but it also may have spent a top-10 pick on someone who gets schemed off the floor in the playoffs. Stay tuned.
Grade: C-
9 — Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Edey (Senior, C)
Grade: B-
The Grizzlies only had one option: fill their center rotation. In Edey, they get the back-to-back National Player of the Year. He will instantly fix the Grizzlies’ rebounding issues. Conditionally he’s in superb shape where it’s likely that he can play heavier minutes in the NBA while starting around 20 to 25 per game. With one of the best defenders in the league in Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies add another defensive anchor to the mix.
His role will consist of a play-finisher while bullying mismatches in the post. With the Grizzlies rim pressure and quick execution, they can afford to not focus on transition basketball and approach a halfcourt-heavy scheme which is needed to properly use Edey.
Memphis Grizzlies
Typically, when I have a player at No. 17 on my board and they go No. 9, I’m going to think that a mistake was made somewhere along the way. Indeed, if I were running the Grizzlies, I would have loved to have moved up and selected Donovan Clingan at either No. 5 or No. 6. But it takes two to tango, and it seems like the price points on those two picks were just too high.
Instead, they went with Zach Edey, the monster 7-foot-4 center from Purdue who has polarized the basketball world all season. He’s as dominant a force as we’ve seen in college basketball in the last two decades because of his height. He rebounds everywhere, improved drastically in drop coverage throughout his career in ball-screen coverage, and can establish position against almost anyone. I think the latter point is the key. I think Edey is so big and so strong that he’s very likely to continue being able to establish his spot anywhere. That’s going to make him, at the very least, a productive NBA player. Maybe he does settle in as a backup who is just an absolute monster to deal with. But I think there’s more room for high-end outcomes than other people expect, too.
He was the next true center on my board after Clingan was selected. And with the roster crunch that the Grizzlies currently have, I think they were probably more set on the center position than other teams may have been, given how essential that need was for them to keep Jaren Jackson Jr. in his preferred role at power forward.
So why was I a bit lower at No. 17? I just worry a bit about what Edey will be able to do in the playoffs. I think teams will likely be pretty aggressive trying to matchup hunt him in those settings, and probably will have more success doing that than will allow him to stay on the court for bundles of minutes. But with Jackson in tow already as well as Brandon Clarke as he gets back into playing shape following his Achilles injury, the team already has some real frontcourt versatility.
I’m not saying the pick is a home run. But I think it’s entirely defensible given Memphis’ situation. They’re an organization that unequivocally marches to the beat of their own drum come draft time. Sometimes it works (G.G. Jackson looks like an enormous hit already) and sometimes it doesn’t (David Roddy was a surprise that is already no longer with the team).
I just searched "2024 NBA Draft Grades" and posted the Edey ratings. Nobody but the Grizzlies GM awarded an A for the pick, and he's the one that made it. 🤣
Be curious to see how he guards further out now that he doesn’t have to worry about fouls. That limited him quite a bit. Didn’t want to pick up fouls.
Huh? He didn't have to worry about fouls the last two seasons. He got free reign and shoved and forearmed defenders with immunity.
