Zach Edey drawing Shaquille O'Neal parallels after dominant draft workouts: Report

The latest 2024 NBA Mock Draft by ESPN had Zach Edey going to the Miami Heat just outside the lottery picks at the 15th spot. As per ESPN draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, Edey has gained a lot of traction among teams that are in need of a center. His most recent workouts were with the LA Lakers, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers.

As per ESPN’s report, he was hard to guard in those workouts, as there’s no one in the draft to contain his size and dominance at the rim. In fact, an unnamed player who worked out with Edey compared the workout to “trying to guard Shaquille O’Neal.”

While comparing Zach Edey to arguably the most dominant NBA center ever is a stretch, the similarities are there for everybody to see. The Canadian center is 7-foot-4 and weighs somewhere around 306 pounds. When Shaq entered the draft in 1992, he weighed 293 pounds and was 7-1.

Shaquille O’Neal ended his career with four titles, one MVP, three Finals MVP, 15 All-Star selections and 14 All-NBA nods. If Edey ends his career anywhere close to these numbers, whichever team selects him will have uncovered a goldmine in a draft that’s reportedly not as deep as the past few ones.

Edey spent his entire four years of college with the Purdue Boilermakers, where he averaged 18.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. His final year was his best statistical season, as he averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.

While he is projected to go to Miami right now, things could change in the next few hours and he could end up a lottery pick. As per Givony, Edey was invited to the draft green room, but he rejected the invite to instead be at West Lafayette with his coaches, family and teammates. He was the only player to decline the invite.

Zach Edey named in Canada’s Olympics training camp roster

While US men’s basketball is often the hotshot in the Olympics, the Canadian national team shouldn’t be far behind in Paris 2024. Team Canada recently announced its training camp roster for the Olympics. A total of 20 players were selected, including Zach Edey. The squad also includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Andrew Wiggins and several other NBA stars.

If Zach Edey makes the final cut of 12 players, he will achieve something that even Shaquille O’Neal failed to accomplish in his draft year. In 1992, Team USA sent its “Dream Team” to the Barcelona Olympics. Only one collegiate player was selected, and it wasn’t Shaq, as Duke’s Christian Laettner made the team.

Shaq made the next Olympic team and won gold in 1996 in Atlanta. He and Team USA also won the 1994 FIBA World Cup in Toronto.