Zach isn't a starting caliber player... that's pretty obvious when he only started 26 out of 63 games on the team with the second worst record in the league. I saw him play this season and he really isn't much better than he was when he was here... he does well against bench players and gets schooled by starters. I would say that I would take him for a second rounder or something but we can't afford to give a roster spot to a guy who is as injury prone as Zach. I like Zach too, he has a lot of heart and a good skill set for a bench big, it sucks that his health is such a concern but it's a legitimate concern and the level he plays at doesn't justify the risk his injury history presents.
[Zagoria] Hearing Purdue's Zach Edey has helped himself with his pro day and combine performances. Could be a value pick in the 20-45 range He should be a legitimate candidate to be selected with the Knick pick
I think the NBA has 'evolved' to the point Edey is the opposite of what any team wants at C. At least as a starter. Maybe there's value in zigging when everybody else is zagging but using a 23rd pick on him seems questionable, at best
Yeah, I agree he is not a starter, but I would not mind him on our bench..... more so than say Boban. Watching his workout he looks to have developed an outside shot. (maybe he had it all along and just never shot it) But I like having one huge guy on a cheap contract on the bench and he does have skills and he is more mobile than most at his size. Having said that I would not use 23 on him.
They could use Edey the same way they used Duck years ago. Start him. Go to him 1-on-1 in the low post. Try to get some easy points early in the game. Take him out after 5 minutes. Repeat at the beginning of the third quarter. I realize that was a different era, but why not? Why not start the game with some easy buckets or a foul on the opposing center because nobody knows how to defend a good post player. Someone on here said zig when everyone else is zagging. Well there you go.
If we could get him at #23, I'd think that would be pretty good value. Edey at #23 would be a real stretch, but I wouldn't mind him at #43. He would get schemed off the floor in a series, but off the bench for shorter stints, he would be a 2nd team matchup nightmare. Then they would have to plan zone on defense at the other end.
Pissing people or not, I think it'd be the right choice. I think the Spurs or Nuggets are smart enough to take him with their second round pick so you wouldn't want to see that. I do think he'll be a steal. Developed right, he could become the next Jokic. Will he get there? Probably not. But I think he'll be effective despite what all these dorks keep on saying when stating that "He would've been Top 5, in the 2000s." No....if you're that good, you'll fit anywhere. I don't think he's that good of a prospect but with the right people teaching him, again, he could have a major impact. Spurs and Nuggets are those teams that can develop him and turn him into a powerful force - either as Jokic's hyper efficient back up or someone who fits well next to Wemby. Either of those will spell doom to the league. In which case, his PER is way too high, two years in a row, to be a simple anomaly. Maybe he is too slow and plodding but in limited bursts, he does look good: Maybe he needs to slim down or something but I think he may surprise people. High IQ, great footwork, some passing capability, good shooting (73+% FT), 60 FG%, great rebounder, solid shot blocker, lengthy, great height, good work ethic, good attitude. Kessler surprised people, last season. Not me, though. I knew Kessler was going to be good due to a certain stat threshold that he and Duren met......and Edey should have a similar trajectory. If Leonard Miller is not available at #23, I don't think it's unreasonable to take Edey to fill a role we need - rebounding.
I'm not necessarily pro or against Edey, but I wouldn't pooh-pooh it at 43. One of the things you look for in those spots and on your bench are guys that offer something different, some kind of mismatch that gives you maybe a four-point difference by the end of the game. Edey is that, not just being freakishly big but very, very skilled. He's succeeded against a lot of the same players who'll be rookies in the NBA in the next couple of years. I also think we need to consider that all sports are fluid. In the NFL, the West Coast Offense was the end-all, be-all ... until it suddenly wasn't. Teams figured it out. The Bears destroyed it with their 46 defense, which was supposed to revolutionize the game ... until it didn't. Teams discovered answers to it. The NBA's the same. I have no doubt that things will happen at some point (if they haven't already) that are pulling positionless basketball back to an era where teams with a traditional big still can contend. It's all about coming up with a system that maximizes your advantages and minimizes your disadvantages and imposing your style of play. Otherwise, you're just a knockoff of the Warriors trying to beat the Warriors at their own game. Edey can be Boban for 8 or so minutes a night. If you make him something the other team has to respect when it's playing defense instead of being completely concerned with the other team's offense, it can work. It's at least an option that should be explored.
Probably won't have to worry. Leo Miller will very likely be gone before #23. Some think that after workouts, he could be in the late Lottery.
right now Blazers have the 23rd and 43rd picks, right? notable players taken at 23 & later in 2013-2020: Tim Hardaway Jr. Reggie Bullock Rudy Gobert Isaiah Canaan Rodney Hood Clint Capela Bogdan Bogdanović Kyle Anderson Joe Harris Spencer Dinwiddie Jerami Grant Nikola Jokić Dwight Powell Jordan Clarkson Larry Nance Jr. Kevon Looney Montrezl Harrell Willy Hernangómez Richaun Holmes Josh Richardson Norman Powell Pascal Siakam Dejounte Murray Ivica Zubac Malcolm Brogdon Georges Niang OG Anunoby Kyle Kuzma Derrick White Josh Hart Frank Jackson Thomas Bryant Isaiah Hartenstein Dillon Brooks Monte Morris Anfernee Simons Moritz Wagner Robert Williams Jalen Brunson Devonte' Graham Mitchell Robinson Gary Trent Jr. Jarred Vanderbilt Hamidou Diallo De'Anthony Melton Shake Milton Darius Bazley Jordan Poole Keldon Johnson Kevin Porter Jr. Nic Claxton Bol Bol Isaiah Roby Terance Mann Jalen McDaniels R.J. Hampton Immanuel Quickley Jaden McDaniels Desmond Bane Kenyon Martin Jr. so about 60 notable players in 8 drafts....288 total selections. The odds aren't real high landing on a good player, but I guess you never know how the dice will roll
60 notable players in 8 drafts taken at #23 or later? That's not bad at all for that late in the first round. If nothing else, just the glass 'half full' to that seemingly 'half empty' some people seem so often live with.