The Memphis Grizzlies entered the 2024 NBA draft hopeful to land players who can contribute to their impressive core. After an injury-riddled season, the Grizzlies had some issues to address and after night one of the draft, they have selected a potential steal.
Purdue's Zach Edey made a terrific impression during last season's March Madness tournament, leading his team to the championship game, where UConn beat him and his team to get their back-to-back NCAA championship.
Purdue left a big mark with that tournament, and after declaring for the draft, plenty of people cast doubts on his chances to make it to the association. After months of rumors and speculation, Edey was selected as the No. 9 overall pick in this year's draft by the Grizzlies.
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One NBA analyst predicted Edey to be drafted by the LA Lakers at 17, but the Grizzlies went ahead of took him away from the Purple and Gold eight spots before.
What does Zach Edey offer to the Memphis Grizzlies?
Zach Edey proved to be a reliable scorer during his time with Purdue. He finished his career as the all-time scoring leader for the program, becoming a pretty big deal while he commanded them to the national championship game last season.
Edey finished his last season with Purdue averaging 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. He can play at the post, where he's almost automatic. His signature move took Purdue to win a lot of games and play for the national title against the well-rounded UConn team.
Edey was compared to Boban Marjanovic before the draft, but he could easily surpass the Serbian giant in the NBA. He's a solid defender who averaged 2.2 blocks per game last season while showing he could hold his ground against any opponent in college.
How many draft picks do the Grizzlies own this year?
The first round of the 2024 NBA draft is in the books now. The Grizzlies only had one pick in this round. They'll have two more selections tomorrow, starting at nine (No. 39 overall) and then 27 (No. 57 overall) to finish their picks in this year's draft.
It's unclear which players they'll select, but the Memphis Grizzlies will have the chance to find some intriguing pieces early and late in the second round. Bronny James could slide to 57 tomorrow, but it remains unclear if the they are interested in the young guard.
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