2024 Prospect Spotlight: Zach Edey

[Jamaaliver]

Position: C
Age: 21, Senior
Size: 7'4", 300 lbs

As dominant as Zach Edey has been at Purdue, the majority of teams will show minimal interest in adding a 300-pound center who lives around the basket. All it takes is one team to see a useful interior force who'll add value by adding an easy-basket target, a high-percentage post option and defensive paint presence.

Bleacher Report

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[HMFFL]

I believe he will develop into a special player in the NBA but I hope he extends his range.

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[Jamaaliver]

I absolutely do believe there is a place in this league for Edey.
As a rim protector, lob target, screener, rebounder -- he is unmatched by anyone in the NBA.
(Other than Boban...)

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[Jamaaliver]

Zach Edey | Purdue

7'3" | 300 lb | Center | 22 years old | Senior

Massive center with a skill set that has transformed him from a fringe draft prospect to a potential lottery pick.

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Shades of: Ivica Zubac

PLUSES

• Hard-to-stop interior scorer, not just because of his sheer size but also because of his skill and touch. He does a great job of using his massive frame to seal off positioning and make himself available for interior feeds. He doesn’t have advanced footwork, but his gigantic presence is enhanced by his agility.
  
• Willingly embraces his role, whether playing limited minutes as an underclassman or running the offense through him as a junior and senior. Playing for the Canadian national team last summer, he fully took on responsibility as a screener, something Purdue doesn’t ask of him as often as post-ups.
  
• Intelligent big man with a solid feel for playmaking out of double-teams. He isn’t a savant passer by any means, but he limits mistakes despite receiving so much attention from college defenses.
  
• Keeps the ball high when he catches it near the rim, so he’s not prone to getting stripped.
  
• With a soft touch on hook shots, he could possess standstill shooting upside from the baseline or the corners.
  
• Imposing interior defender with the size and strength to battle against opposing bigs on the post and on the boards.
  
• Durable. He has missed only one game in his college career, in 2022, due to an illness.

MINUSES

• Limited defender when pulled away from the basket. He struggles to recover on pick-and-pops and often gets blown by on closeouts. NBA teams will target him even more than college teams do; granted, he’s made improvements in handling pressure at his current level.
  
• Lacks a perimeter game aside from his screening. Though he has soft touch on floaters and a solid free throw percentage for a big, there is no indication that he will develop a spot-up jumper.
  
• Can’t really play an up-and-down, high-tempo game since he’s slower footed in open space.

The Ringer

[Jamaaliver]

Edey as backup center solves pretty much all of our size issues in the front court.

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[King Ken]

Easily the most improved college guy I've seen this year. He's moving around like Yao Ming. Massive improvement from what I saw last year when he looked way too unathletic for the NBA. I still would like to see more skill but the athleticism is promising.

[raleigh]

Wow, I'm surprised by the comments here. I caught a few minutes of him last night and was thoroughly unimpressed for a guy his size. He'll have situational use like Boban but the pace of the NBA is gonna overwhelm him.

[Jamaaliver]

I know Edey is limited offensively, but Trae having a 7'4" lob target and a 300 pound screener would be so much fun.

ZE would be a 16+ ppg scorer just on lobs and putbacks.

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[Jamaaliver]

1. I would say you only draft Edey if you have an elite playmaker next to him to spoon feed him easy buckets all game.

2. ZACH EDEY IS SHOOTING 3 POINTERS!!!!!!!

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[Jamaaliver]

#21. Atlanta Hawks (via SAC) — Zach Edey, C, Purdue

Stats (as of 2/13/24):
23.3 PTS | 11.7 REB | 1.8 AST | 0.3 STL | 2.3 BLK

62.3 FG% | 50.0 3P% | 71.0 FT%

24 Games | 30.8 MIN

Albert Ghim: Context is ridiculously important. Suppose this were a regular draft where we had huge marquee names at the top and a stable number of future superstars in the making; this Mock Draft would look very different. With that said, Zach Edey is in this class and will be selected by someone in the 2024 NBA Draft.

I’ve seen multiple draft observers deduct points from Edey because of his perceived lack of lateral movement and quickness. Considering his size and build, it makes sense that Edey wouldn’t be the fastest lateral mover on the planet. With that being said, Edey is nowhere near as slow and limited as a mover as people make him out to be. Considering how large he is, Edey has shown some impressive lateral movement and the ability to stay active on the defensive side of the ball.

I’m not saying he’s prime Chris Bosh or Draymond Green, but he can move much better than [skeptics] are making it seem. Edey has been a ridiculously productive player in college, and with his improved physique and blossoming game on both ends, any team in the league should feel great about using a potential first round pick on him. Edey will be tough to guard and will be a better defender than people think, and adding giant people to a roster will always be a plus—23.3 PTS, 11.7 TRB, and a box plus/minus score of 15.4 is production you just can’t ignore or discredit.

No Ceilings NBA

[Jamaaliver]

Dude is a uniquely elite scoring weapon alongside a supreme passer/playmaker.

Take him in the 20s or late teens with that Sacramento pick.

Spoiler:

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[King Ken]

Dude is a uniquely elite scoring weapon alongside a supreme passer/playmaker.

Take him in the 20s or late teens with that Sacramento pick.

Spoiler:

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I wouldn't take him till around 15-40 range for most teams, but with Trae Young who spams centers like no other PG in NBA history, he's my top prospect in the draft for the Hawks. He fills all our needs and his offensive upside is insane with our style of play. I don't have another player even close right now. Could that change, sure but I don't believe it will. If the Hawks take him at 8, it's gonna be a great pick no matter what. At 1 or 8 or 20. Unless Trae is no longer a Hawk than this is a massive reach unless at 20.

[Jamaaliver]

For maybe the first time ever, we're in agreement!!!

I wouldn't take him till around 15-40 range for most teams, but with Trae Young who spams centers like no other PG in NBA history, he's my top prospect in the draft for the Hawks. He fills all our needs and his offensive upside is insane with our style of play. I don't have another player even close right now.

Unless Trae is no longer a Hawk than this is a massive reach unless at 20.

If the Hawks take him at 8, it's gonna be a great pick no matter what.

^And you lost me....

[King Ken]

For maybe the first time ever, we're in agreement!!!

I wouldn't take him till around 15-40 range for most teams, but with Trae Young who spams centers like no other PG in NBA history, he's my top prospect in the draft for the Hawks. He fills all our needs and his offensive upside is insane with our style of play. I don't have another player even close right now.

Unless Trae is no longer a Hawk than this is a massive reach unless at 20.

If the Hawks take him at 8, it's gonna be a great pick no matter what.

^And you lost me....

I didn't know we were ever in or out of agreement. You simply aren't at the forefront of my thoughts when I give opinions and analysis.

Teams love value of the pick but none of that **** means anything. If you love a player and they fit what you do, get them. Many people didn't think Jaime Jaquez was a 1st round pick, including me but with the Heat or Knicks, I'll take him in the lottery and run to make the pick.

You gotta know what you are. People hated the Cam Johnson pick from PHX. He was a late 1st grade in the top 11. Turns out, he should have been in the top 5 when it was all said and done. Don't overthink obvious ****. Giannis was ours, Bucks got the tip, Jazz called wanting to move down and Ferry said it was too much trade capital. In 2024, was passing up the chance to move up and get Giannis smart for Dennis and Bebe or dumb? I'll let you be the judge.

[Jamaaliver]

I didn't know we were ever in or out of agreement. You simply aren't at the forefront of my thoughts when I give opinions and analysis.

[King Ken]

I didn't know we were ever in or out of agreement. You simply aren't at the forefront of my thoughts when I give opinions and analysis.

[Jamaaliver]

Teams love value of the pick but none of that **** means anything. If you love a player and they fit what you do, get them. Many people didn't think Jaime Jaquez was a 1st round pick, including me but with the Heat or Knicks, I'll take him in the lottery and run to make the pick.

You gotta know what you are. People hated the Cam Johnson pick from PHX. He was a late 1st grade in the top 11. Turns out, he should have been in the top 5 when it was all said and done. Don't overthink obvious ****. Giannis was ours, Bucks got the tip, Jazz called wanting to move down and Ferry said it was too much trade capital. In 2024, was passing up the chance to move up and get Giannis smart for Dennis and Bebe or dumb? I'll let you be the judge.

These are all fair points.

And I do agree it's only a move you make if Trae Young is gonna be around to play next to him for years to come.

[King Ken]

Teams love value of the pick but none of that **** means anything. If you love a player and they fit what you do, get them. Many people didn't think Jaime Jaquez was a 1st round pick, including me but with the Heat or Knicks, I'll take him in the lottery and run to make the pick.

You gotta know what you are. People hated the Cam Johnson pick from PHX. He was a late 1st grade in the top 11. Turns out, he should have been in the top 5 when it was all said and done. Don't overthink obvious ****. Giannis was ours, Bucks got the tip, Jazz called wanting to move down and Ferry said it was too much trade capital. In 2024, was passing up the chance to move up and get Giannis smart for Dennis and Bebe or dumb? I'll let you be the judge.

These are all fair points.

And I do agree it's only a move you make if Trae Young is gonna be around to play next to him for years to come.

100% you can't draft him unless it's for Trae. It would be a waste and what would be the purpose when we are trying to move away from that style. At that point, Clingan or some of the wings or true SGs make more sense. Even a backup PG with upside makes sense.

[jayu70]

I didn't know we were ever in or out of agreement. You simply aren't at the forefront of my thoughts when I give opinions and analysis.

[Jamaaliver]

Pretty impressive stuff.

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