"Honestly love that take," "He has even less mobility than Jonas": Fans react to draft analyst comparing Purdue's Zach Edey to Jonas Valančiūnas

Zach Edey is considered one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft. While experts acknowledge his incredible stats from the four years with Purdue, many are doubtful if it will translate to the NBA.

NBA draft analyst Jonathon Givony(@DraftExpress on X) has now provided a new comparison into whose playing style Edey is most similar to:

“I look at him and say, ‘What if Jonas Valančiūnas was 6 inches taller?’” @DraftExpress on Zach Edey’s potential

When he was first drafted into the NBA in 2011, Jonas Valančiūnas was considered a true post player, similar to Zach Edey right now. However, he was slightly quicker and more athletic, with a better shooting range. Edey shot 62.3% from the floor but mostly avoided the three-point range, taking only two attempts in his college career.

Fans in the comments were divided, with some agreeing with the take.

"Honestly love that take 👀," one fan wrote

"Great comparison 👏," another wrote.

"Very good take. I think Edey sticks as a solid player for a long time," one fan commented.

"Zach Edey kinda reminds me more of Zubac instead of Valančiūnas," another wrote.

Meanwhile, some other fans disagreed with the comparison, claiming that Valančiūnas was a much better draft prospect than Zach Edey.

"He has even less mobility than Jonas. Teams are about to have a field day with him with the pick and roll," one wrote.

"That’s the most unexciting sentence ever," one fan wrote.

"Ya but Jonas actually hits threes at a high clip. Zach doesn’t shoot at all," another fan commented.

"Dude literally made Zach Edey's stock go down with that sentence," another wrote

"Edeys more like...a better Andre Drummond, with better rim protection skills," one fan pointed out

Anonymous NBA executive raises concerns about Zach Edey's defensive mobility

In his time at Purdue, Zach Edey was mostly a post player who could not do much outside the perimeter. His restrictive nature of play was a concern for many analysts. However, Edey quelled some of these concerns with his performance at the NBA draft combine in May.

Regardless of it, an NBA executive is still unsure of Edey's athleticism and versatility in the league. ESPN's Jeremy Woo reported:

"With Edey, the fear is with his ability to guard in space. When guards turn the corner on him, his ability to recover and get back into the play. You might have to commit to gimmicky defenses and station him around the basket to really take advantage of his rim-protection." (via Bleacher Report)

Per the latest mock drafts, Zach Edey is predicted to go from No. 11 to No. 20 with teams hoping to improve his game style after the draft.

What are your thoughts on the Zach Edey-Jonas Valančiūnas comparison? Share them in the comments section below.