This just sounds like someone who has bought into some preconceived notion of what Zach Edey is without actually having seen any Zach Edey. Cool. We'll see in a few years I guess.
I saw the final two game with Edey v Clingan and I was super critical of how Edey would translate. Saying that, I'm keeping an open mind and don't think he'd be a bad gamble at 14.
I’m not gonna be stat guy here, but throwing a few things out without digging. I’m in San Diego on my phone. Edey is 64% down low where he has a massive advantage with height, weight, reach and wing span. Are Jokic, Wemby or Embiid shooting that number outside the paint? In 10 possessions, Edey gets 12-13 points. If Wendy, Jokic or Embiid stay out on the perimeter against Edey they have to shoot lights out to match his production. People are underestimating how truly dominant Edey is offensively down low. I look forward to seeing him against Jokic or Embiid down low. Sure, there will be a welcome to the NBA learning curve, but he will hold his own. I’d expect him getting easy buckets or lots of FT attempts, where he is at 70%. I would love to see a center actually roam the paint, score easy buckets and rebound/block shots. I do think if Edey was playing in the days of the HOFers mentioned, he would quite possibly be one too. That depends on health and drive. But all of his bonafides coming out of college are on a par with the other centers of yore. Jokic or Embiid are not switching onto Sharpe and containing him. Same for Edey and say Kyrie. People act like todays centers are locking down on the perimeter. They are getting toasted out there and play half assed defense down low because they don’t like to bang and prefer being on the perimeter where life is safer. But to match Edey they have to shoot insanely good. It just takes conviction. Edey is great at what he does. His opponents will have to play great to match his production. That is all I’m saying.
Are you talking difference makers from the perimeter offensively or defensively? Offensively they have to shoot at an incredible rate to match what Edey does down low. It’s not like he is Zubac or Garza. Edey is a real low post player with go to moves. As for defense, I doubt any of the centers playing out on the perimeter are doing much. I like that Ayton is not shooting 3’s. But Ayton has very little offensively as to a go to move. He is a pnr threat because of his 10 foot shot. Edey can run the pnr also, but he has developed it into a pnr post up because of his huge advantages down low. Smart player to me. Why pick n pop when you can get a much higher shot by setting the pick and rolling into a post up? We shall see. Draft is soon.
An intangible reason I lean towards drafting Edey @14 is his experience playing other sports. How does someone his size play ice hockey? Hitting a fast pitch baseball takes yet another set of skills. The kid has game.
Edey's looking very solid. I think he'll turn out to be a Valanciunas/Vucevic type player, which is not to be sneezed at. (So do I think we should've taken him instead of Clingan? No.)
Zach with 15 points 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks 0 fouls and 0 turnovers in just 22 minutes. The Grizzlies also managed to win, even though Edey is said to have had some mystical property that makes him "unplayable". Vucevic was only able to muster 7 points, even though NBA players can score at will on Edey.
Bring it back a little beast -- you went a tad too hard on that Also it's preseason now I am not saying he sucks but pump the breaks a little cause the Blazers just destroyed the Kings does that mean the Blazers are now a contender .... hell no -- just chill out a little
It’s not about how he matches up against centers. It’s how he matches up with guards on a switch. That said, I wanted him at 7.
While it is just pre-season, I've pointed out that his efficiency levels as a prospect were on par with Zion and Jokic. That means you simply cannot stop him down low. And you can't Hack-an-Edey either. Additionally, his mobility is superior not just to other big men but other NBA prospects as well. It's similar to how Oden was outrunning and outmaneuvering guards and skinny forwards like Kevin Durant. We'll have see how he pans out in the long haul but when I say that he has Yao's moves, Shaq/Jokic offensive efficiency in the paint, Eaton type shot blocking potential, an unblockable hook shot akin to Kareem, and a natural strength similar to Ewing.....I'm not kidding. He has those things and I think they do translate into the modern NBA. Chances are the people saying they don't have just forgotten how they looked like. His name reminds me of a certain Bones character. Would've been fitting to see him in Portland just for that, alone
I guess we shall see. The rest of the league has gone away from slow, plodding, back to the basket centers. The league is about tempo now and shooting. He would have been great 20 years ago.
All summer it was, -"LMAO! You want to take Edey in the 1st round, LOL" -"But wait until he has to go against REAL NBA centers, college centers are 2 inches shorter..." -"You can't play big men in the modern nba. all that matters is their ability to defend the 3 point line and shoot 3 pointers" But for some reason, Clingan, who seems to me, to be a shorter, less offensively adept (by a large margin) version of Edey was ok.
