RealGM

Would Zach Edey be the number 1 draft pick if this draft was in the 90s?

Does he remind anyone else of Yao Ming?

How high can he go in this draft and can he make an I’m pact in the NBA ?

1) Yes. Depends on what year though. He's top 5 at worst every season though.

2) There are some similarities. The major differences are that Yao shoots better but Zach is an undeniably greater finisher due to his superior upper body strength, catch radius, and athleticism. Yao is taller but Edey has a much bigger wingspan and a slightly higher standing reach.

He plays most like Orlando Dwight Howard. A less athletic but bigger and stronger version with better touch, range, and can shoot free throws.

He's what I'd call a hybrid PnR/post-up guy. Like Dwight, he blends his screening and rolling in with off-ball movement to establish deep post position. Sometimes plays end with rolls, sometimes lobs, sometimes deep post catches or dump-offs.

This is different from Shaq, who was a static post-up player who'd move from the left block to the right block while his team reversed the ball to find an ideal entry pass. Rarely would O'Neal leave the frontcourt/paint/low-to-mid post. Edey and Dwight routinely set screens at the three-point line.

It's horizontal vs. high-low. Much easier to play with the Edey/Dwight style because they don't clog the paint as much. Duncan developed into more of this type of player toward the end of his career. More screens, handoffs, and rolls to the paint. Post-up plays coming within the flow of the offense off of the gravity of ball screen actions.

3) The highest he could go is probably Memphis' 1st pick. ESPN (Givony and Woo) have him 14th on their most recent mock draft. There is gaining momentum for Edey to be a late lottery (top 14) pick, or just outside of it. He has shown improved mobility on defense and increased movement, screening, and rolling on offense.

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There are several teams that can use him.

- Phoenix, LAL, Denver, OKC, Miami, New York (If Hartenstein leaves), Milwaukee = backup center.
- Memphis = Steven Adams replacement.

I heard he was like the 65th best prospect because he doesn't shoot 3s tho

I dont think anyone will take him in the first round. He's super slow footed and doesnt take jumpers, a true 90's back you down in the paint center which is basically unusable today. Should have a good career in Europe. Are people falling for his averages or something? Many college stars that dominated in college didnt play a minute in the nba. Drew Timme anyone?

PlatinumState wrote:I dont think anyone will take him in the first round. He's super slow footed and doesnt take jumpers, a true 90's back you down in the paint center which is basically unusable today. Should have a good career in Europe. Are people falling for his averages or something? Many college stars that dominated in college didnt play a minute in the nba. Drew Timme anyone?

He moved better in the combine tests than many NBA centers despite outweighing all of them, from 20 pounds to as much as like 80. Now that doesn't guarantee mobility in-game but it at least gives him a great shot to be. He was 306.4 pounds when he did those tests. He's like 295 now I think.

Zach Edey 2023 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 11.37 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.45 seconds

Steven Adams 2014 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 11.85 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.40 seconds

Rudy Gobert 2014 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 12.85 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.57 seconds

Brook Lopez 2009 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 12.77 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.57 seconds

DeMarcus Cousins 2011 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 11.40 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.55 seconds

Hassan Whiteside 2011 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 11.83 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.54 seconds

Nikola Vucevic 2012 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 12.02 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.27 seconds

Bobby Portis 2016 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 11.78 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.56 seconds

Bam Adebayo 2018 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 11.94 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.24 seconds

Nicolas Claxton 2020 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 11.26 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.36 seconds

Xavier Tillman Sr 2021 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 11.80 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.49 seconds

To compare Edey to a true plodding Giant, check out Tacko Fall's numbers:

Tacko Fall 2020 NBA Combine:

Lane agility test: 13.01 seconds
3/4 court sprint test: 3.78 seconds

When it comes to mobility, Zach is much more like Adams, Lopez, and Gobert. And that was at 306 pounds a year ago. He dropped like 15 pounds and has been noticeably more mobile this season.

He also apparently showed good shooting at the 2023 NBA combine. Not that shooting is a requirement for centers. Being able to rebound, screen, finish plays in the paint, and protect the rim is far more important. It's why Mo Bamba hasn't been able to reach his potential despite developing good shooting. Just isn't good enough at the basics of the big man role.

What the reason for walker kessler not getting more minutes this year than he did last year? Almost like a regression

I hope all those combine numbers is a real thing and translates to Edey being a good NBA player, but I am not expert of his game, we will see. But I will say, Yao Ming did not move like 7'6 would move, he was not fast or anything, but he just move like average center while being way taller. I do not like when Yao gets thrown around any time slow huge big comes around.

In my opinion, Yao did not move at all worse than Nikola Vucevic for example, but he was bigger and could protect the rim. Number of centers in current NBA are far bigger targets than what Ming would be. So, if Edey really moves like Yao before injuries, he is loterry pick for sure.

Seems like a perfect fit for a team that has the draft capital to take a risk on him in what is already a questionable draft. Hello OKC?

Knightfall wrote:Seems like a perfect fit for a team that has the draft capital to take a risk on him in what is already a questionable draft. Hello OKC?

Yes, OKC has to take him. They need size more than any other contender anyway, and if he pans out, they instantly have 2 competent, but completely different bigs for different scenarios.

OKC have to draft him if we can’t find a better prospect that fits at either PF or C .

OKC would be better off with Clingan if they want to go that route (which they probably don't).

i was shocked to see him projected a 2nd rounder

you'd think he'd be drafted where Jarrett Allen was

Yeah unlikely OKC would take Edey he just doesn’t fit with how the team is constructed to play fast/give out. It’s not like the team is hurting defensively. But they definitely could use some rebounding help.

I think Filipowski is more likely.

But I’d rather they draft Cody Williams.

Maybe not #1 but definitly top 5 if it was 90's/00's....he just isn't that overly skilled, very big and strong, decent touch for sure but in today's league he brings very little to a team (no shooting, slow-footed, can't dribble at all, relies on size for rebounding, etc), Big-"dominant" centers are kinda extinct in the modern NBA (unless they bring added skill sets Jokic passing, Embiid/Jokic shooting, etc) and just has VERY LITTLE translation to the NBA from College anymore...look at a guys the last couple of years:

This year alone (there is a reason these dominant guys play 3/4 years and dont go into the draft - no one wants them)
Zach Edey 25/12 projected a 2nd rounder
Hunter Dickinson 18/12 projected as undrafted
Armando Bacot 15/10 projected as undrafted

Oscar Tshiebwe last year 16/14 as a SR -> undrafted and two-way
Drew Timme last year 21/8 as a SR -> undrafted and in G-League
Adama Sanogo last year 17/7 only a JR and completely dominated everyone at UCONN -> undrafted and two-way contract
Kofi Cockburn two year ago 21/11 only a JR and destroyed nearly every center -> undrafted, playing in Korea

Some team will draft him just on the basis of having someone to throw on a Wemby matchup.

Skillwise and his physical attributes he checks all the boxes. Hes not 7'4 stringbean with toothpick for ankles where you worry his ankles will snap on the court at any moment he has a sturdy frame and surprisingly very mobile for a guy his size. Edey success I think it comes down to whether a franchise believes in him to feature him as more than just off the bench role player. If a team/franchise believes in him like Malone does jokic I believe he can be more than a rotational player due to his skill at his size and garnering four years of invaluable collegiate experience. However based on team scouts grasping for straws to find things to knock him despite checking tge boxes tells me otherwise.

ChiTownHero1992 wrote:Maybe not #1 but definitly top 5 if it was 90's/00's....he just isn't that overly skilled, very big and strong, decent touch for sure but in today's league he brings very little to a team (no shooting, slow-footed, can't dribble at all, relies on size for rebounding, etc), Big-"dominant" centers are kinda extinct in the modern NBA (unless they bring added skill sets Jokic passing, Embiid/Jokic shooting, etc) and just has VERY LITTLE translation to the NBA from College anymore...look at a guys the last couple of years:

This year alone (there is a reason these dominant guys play 3/4 years and dont go into the draft - no one wants them)
Zach Edey 25/12 projected a 2nd rounder
Hunter Dickinson 18/12 projected as undrafted
Armando Bacot 15/10 projected as undrafted

Oscar Tshiebwe last year 16/14 as a SR -> undrafted and two-way
Drew Timme last year 21/8 as a SR -> undrafted and in G-League
Adama Sanogo last year 17/7 only a JR and completely dominated everyone at UCONN -> undrafted and two-way contract
Kofi Cockburn two year ago 21/11 only a JR and destroyed nearly every center -> undrafted, playing in Korea

You get it. People get caught up on college averages and think it translates to the nba. Luka Garza was a monster his junior and senior years but rarely gets minutes in the nba

darbstar wrote:What the reason for walker kessler not getting more minutes this year than he did last year? Almost like a regression

1. They traded for John Collins who can only play center (the Jazz were a -14.8 with Collins at PF... Which would be the worst team in NBA history) and John Collins makes $26m a year and thus has to play heavy minutes

2. Kessler's confidence is shot because he's afraid of getting fouled because he's a bad FT shooter.

With how lose the NBA whistle is in today's game. He starts the game +12 over your favorite players.

I think Edey will go end of 1st round. A top NBA team will take the gamble AND have six legit fouls off bench for Embiid, Joker, Gobert, etc. come playoff time.

The other senior I think will rise on draft board (and should) thank you to March madness is Grant Nelson from Bama. 6’11 plays like a guard. His game looks tailor-made for NBA.