Zach Edey, 7-4

[TheSuzerain]

I think we are ignoring that the actually skilled guys... like Davis, Joel, Jokic, Bam, Lopez, Wemby, Horford, Porzingis, Olynck etc... are all shooting 10-18% higher from the FT line than Edey. It really isn't close.

If he was shooting 85% I would be okay with projecting him as a guy that maybe eventually steps out, but he is at the bottom bottom range of maybe just maybe having jussssttt enough skill to mayyyyyyybee shoot a few mid range shots.

We are grasping at straws to try and prove this guy is some sort of hidden skill.

Edey is a similar FT shooting talent to Davis, Bam, Horford. Kind of strange to lump them in with Jokic/Embiid/Porzingis.

Horford at 89% this year. Davis career 80%. Both are better ft shooters than Edey without a doubt.

What is Horford for his career? Why did you use the data point with only 29 attempts?

80% or at least high 70s is attainable for Edey (not a given of course). But it's strange that you're comparing current Edey to career Davis or peak Horford (on comically tiny volume).

Not a very persuasive argument on your part.

[JMAC3]

Edey is a similar FT shooting talent to Davis, Bam, Horford. Kind of strange to lump them in with Jokic/Embiid/Porzingis.

Horford at 89% this year. Davis career 80%. Both are better ft shooters than Edey without a doubt.

What is Horford for his career? Why didn't you use the data point with only 29 attempts?

80% or at least high 70s is attainable for Edey (not a given of course). But it's strange that you're comparing current Edey to career Davis or peak Horford (on comically tiny volume).

Not a very persuasive argument on your part.

We have 4 years of massive samples for Edey that he is at 70%, so jumping to 80% in the next 3-4 years or so seems like a pretty drastic jump.

Horford has been 80% or so if you look at the last 10 years combined, so again 10% higher than Edey lol.

[The-Power]

Horford has been 80% or so if you look at the last 10 years combined, so again 10% higher than Edey lol.

And yet only 62% in college on more than 400 attempts, and 73% over his first 6 NBA seasons. Actually a good example of someone improving free throw shooting over their career.

[TheSuzerain]

Horford at 89% this year. Davis career 80%. Both are better ft shooters than Edey without a doubt.

What is Horford for his career? Why didn't you use the data point with only 29 attempts?

80% or at least high 70s is attainable for Edey (not a given of course). But it's strange that you're comparing current Edey to career Davis or peak Horford (on comically tiny volume).

Not a very persuasive argument on your part.

We have 4 years of massive samples for Edey that he is at 70%, so jumping to 80% in the next 3-4 years or so seems like a pretty drastic jump.

Horford has been 80% or so if you look at the last 10 years combined, so again 10% higher than Edey lol.

It would be a jump, but not overly eye-catching. Edey is at like 72% over his two seasons as Purdue's central player.

Horford was at 67% over two NBA seasons when he was 26 and 27. No hope for that guy to reach the 80s.

There are legitimate Edey criticism, but some of this is just super feeble. Like get it together.

[JMAC3]

Horford has been 80% or so if you look at the last 10 years combined, so again 10% higher than Edey lol.

And yet only 62% in college on more than 400 attempts.

There you have it. Horford did it so it only makes sense Edey can do it too lol. Gotta love finding those outliers and treating them as certainties to happen.

Edey by year 9 will be shooting NBA threes just like Horford so make sure you draft him real high ya hear..

[JMAC3]

Could Zach develop shooting range? Maybe. Maybe not. Since 2012, LeBron has shot 72.7% FT on 6.7 attempts per game and 36.0% 3PT on 5 attempts per game. Who knows what happens with Zach's development? Not that his game hinges on his perimeter shot - it's a bonus add-on.

Reports from the 2023 NBA Combine and Purdue practices are positive. There are several clips online of him shooting and his shot looks great. Great form. Someone on Twitter was at a Purdue practice and said he shot 40/65 from three, which is promising.

Asking for the 4th time, where does he rank on your big board?

Are you really that scared to say a number? or is this whole Edey thing just a giant troll for you?

[CptCrunch]

This is literally insanity.

Now we have dragged in LeBron, Embiid, David, Jokic and their developmental path in an attempt to defend Edey.

Take a step back and think about why Edey was not drafted after his freshman year. There is a very good reason that he is only being considered as a legit prospect after 4 years in college.

[TheSuzerain]

I'd put Edey top 3/5. About same as I had him last year during these debates.

Topic probably the one guy who I'd put a cut above, although his draft year getting cut short just as he got to the EuroLeague really stinks.

[OriAr]

This is literally insanity.

Now we have dragged in LeBron, Embiid, David, Jokic and their developmental path in an attempt to defend Edey.

Take a step back and think about why Edey was not drafted after his freshman year. There is a very good reason that he is only being considered as a legit prospect after 4 years in college.

Because he was a backup who didn't play much?
Yes, some players need to stay in college to develop their skills, that's not an indictment on them.
Edey started to play basketball competitively only when he was 14, people always forget that, most prospects do so when they are 8 to 10 years old. Learning curve wise he's not behind by much.

[FarBeyondDriven]

Not trying to defend Edey but it was common practice for college players to play 4 years in college. Bigs in particular take longer to develop. If guys like Ewing, Hakeem, Mourning, Walton, Robinson, and Duncan had come out after their freshmen seasons who knows if they would have been able to develop in the NBA like they had in college and had the careers they ended up having.

I still think, even pretending we're in the year 1990, that Edey wouldn't be a great NBA prospect. He just wouldn't be able to compete athletically. The reason for his dominance in college is because there's no dominant bigs to counter him.

Once in today's NBA his inability to defend the PnR will make him unplayable except for off the bench. It doesn't detract from what he's been able to accomplish in college. It's just a PnR heavy league and he'll be forced into drop coverage to counter the speed of guys driving to the basket and this will lead to wide open threes by guards/wings. And if he cheats to try to take that away, the bigs will either roll hard to the rim around him or he'll overcompensate when that happens and bigs will be wide open for pick n pops. It's the same issues guys like Gobert and Kessler have and they're both liabilities because of it.

[BlazersBroncos]

I wish I could be as staunch one way or the other as some are on this kid. I have watched him for 4 years and still cant decide on him.

I do find the FT% back and forth pretty wild. He is a 70% guy, great chance he can get up to 75%, slighter chance to 80%. Regardless, 70% isnt a guy you can play hack-a-Shaq with. Its absolutely a decent FT% for a big.

The thing that continues to set Edey apart from some of the other giants is his stamina. Its pretty incredible for a man his size to play 30+ minutes per game at any level - much less 39 in a Elite 8 game.

I am rooting for him. Would love for the balance to swing a bit away from the boring oversaturation of 3PT shots. Think Zach could start that transition (Albeit the game will never go away from 3PT bombing - just hoping for at least a slight course correction).

Hot take - Zach and Clingan go Top-10.

[Big J]

I wish I could be as staunch one way or the other as some are on this kid. I have watched him for 4 years and still cant decide on him.

I do find the FT% back and forth pretty wild. He is a 70% guy, great chance he can get up to 75%, slighter chance to 80%. Regardless, 70% isnt a guy you can play hack-a-Shaq with. Its absolutely a decent FT% for a big.

The thing that continues to set Edey apart from some of the other giants is his stamina. Its pretty incredible for a man his size to play 30+ minutes per game at any level - much less 39 in a Elite 8 game.

I am rooting for him. Would love for the balance to swing a bit away from the boring oversaturation of 3PT shots. Think Zach could start that transition (Albeit the game will never go away from 3PT bombing - just hoping for at least a slight course correction).

Hot take - Zach and Clingan go Top-10.

If you’re looking for excitement, Edey is not it. He’s a post player who doesn’t even have a post bag. It’s just jump hooks, and using his size against smaller guys. Nothing sophisticated like McHale or Hakeem where they would use footwork and fakes to beat their man. The league changed rules to get away from these kind of guys for a reason.

[GoBobs]

I wish I could be as staunch one way or the other as some are on this kid. I have watched him for 4 years and still cant decide on him.

I do find the FT% back and forth pretty wild. He is a 70% guy, great chance he can get up to 75%, slighter chance to 80%. Regardless, 70% isnt a guy you can play hack-a-Shaq with. Its absolutely a decent FT% for a big.

The thing that continues to set Edey apart from some of the other giants is his stamina. Its pretty incredible for a man his size to play 30+ minutes per game at any level - much less 39 in a Elite 8 game.

I am rooting for him. Would love for the balance to swing a bit away from the boring oversaturation of 3PT shots. Think Zach could start that transition (Albeit the game will never go away from 3PT bombing - just hoping for at least a slight course correction).

Hot take - Zach and Clingan go Top-10.

If you’re looking for excitement, Edey is not it. He’s a post player who doesn’t even have a post bag. It’s just jump hooks, and using his size against smaller guys. Nothing sophisticated like McHale or Hakeem where they would use footwork and fakes to beat their man. The league changed rules to get away from these kind of guys for a reason.

It's obvious you don't watch the games. He had several counter moves last game.

[atlantabbq99]

If Gobert has success in the NBA, there is still a chance that Edey can also be a productive starter in the NBA.

[Big J]

If Gobert has success in the NBA, there is still a chance that Edey can also be a productive starter in the NBA.

Gobert plays because he's an excellent defender...

[King Ken]

Skill is a vague term. Zach's off-ball movement and positioning are elite. He's a 70-75% FT shooter. He has a post-up bag. He has everything he needs to take full advantage of his monstrous physical gifts: 7'5" height in shoes, a lean, well-proportioned 300+ pound frame, 7'10.5" wingspan, and a 9'7.5" standing reach. And speed, agility, and jumping ability on par with Rudy Gobert, Hassan Whiteside, Steven Adams, Brook Lopez, and DeMarcus Cousins. As per NBA combine numbers.

However, what's most important is that he plays as big and as physical as he is built. Which isn't all that common if you think about it. Zach will probably lead the league in free-throw rate. I'm talking Dwight/Shaq kind of foul pressure.

I've said this so many times but those who understand Edey will understand him. Those who don't, won't. It's just that simple. Because he's such a polarizing prospect, even more than Shepp, he's going to generate a lot of love and hate. It's going to be like this till he plays in the pre-season and then in the NBA. But his teammates will know really quickly, if or if he can play when they start TC.

[Diop]

Rudy Gobert wasn't a good prospect, not sure I really get the comparison.
Gobert went pick 27 because he was already on the older side of international prospects at age 21 and he wasn't good his rookie season in the NBA. He averaged 2pts, 2 rebounds in 10 mpg his rookie year.

It wasn't like day 1 he made everyone look bad for him falling, he just improved a lot since he was drafted. He wasn't coordinated nor strong enough to play in the NBA so yeah makes sense his combine stats sucked. He was nowhere near what he is physically today.

So you're saying athletic/mobility improvements can be made once a player is on an NBA team and implementing a professional strength and conditioning program?

Wow. I'm excited to see just how much more athletic/mobile Zach can get!

No just more so saying I don't get the fascination with comparing him to Gobert and Gobert only.

Here are other tall players who were in the NBA- all these guys were at least 7-3.
This first group were the best players... All of these guys were far more skilled as passers, scorers and played with more finesse and skills then Edey.

Rik Smits
Ralph Sampson
Wemby
Arvydas
Ilgauskas
Yao Ming

Mark Eaton
Shaun Bradley

Tacko Fall
Sim Bhullarf
George Muresan
Manute Bol
Boban
Walter Tavares
Bol Bol
Hasheem Thabeet

This Last group are guys who I would say were limited skill wise, but attempted to be good via size.

Do you think watching Edey he is anywhere close to as skilled as the first group? I would say no. Maybe he is closest to Eaton and Bradley, but he might even be worse than those 2.

I compare him to Gobert as people keep saying "Big guys like him aren't relevant anymore, he needed to play in the 90s", well Gobert is playing now and doing pretty well. So I'm asking why can't Edey fit now?

[165bows]

I wish I could be as staunch one way or the other as some are on this kid. I have watched him for 4 years and still cant decide on him.

I do find the FT% back and forth pretty wild. He is a 70% guy, great chance he can get up to 75%, slighter chance to 80%. Regardless, 70% isnt a guy you can play hack-a-Shaq with. Its absolutely a decent FT% for a big.

The thing that continues to set Edey apart from some of the other giants is his stamina. Its pretty incredible for a man his size to play 30+ minutes per game at any level - much less 39 in a Elite 8 game.

I am rooting for him. Would love for the balance to swing a bit away from the boring oversaturation of 3PT shots. Think Zach could start that transition (Albeit the game will never go away from 3PT bombing - just hoping for at least a slight course correction).

Hot take - Zach and Clingan go Top-10.

Could see it. Def could see Toronto in the late teens if not for Edey.

[Diop]

If Gobert has success in the NBA, there is still a chance that Edey can also be a productive starter in the NBA.

Gobert plays because he's an excellent defender...

now if there is evidence that Edey has no where near the defensive instinct skills of Gobert to stay on the court, then I'd be ready to write him off as a prospect.

there the arguments im looking for instead of the lazy, "he's big and slow, he won't fit in modern NBA."

[GoBobs]

Horford at 89% this year. Davis career 80%. Both are better ft shooters than Edey without a doubt.

What is Horford for his career? Why didn't you use the data point with only 29 attempts?

80% or at least high 70s is attainable for Edey (not a given of course). But it's strange that you're comparing current Edey to career Davis or peak Horford (on comically tiny volume).

Not a very persuasive argument on your part.

We have 4 years of massive samples for Edey that he is at 70%, so jumping to 80% in the next 3-4 years or so seems like a pretty drastic jump.

Horford has been 80% or so if you look at the last 10 years combined, so again 10% higher than Edey lol.

Meanwhile Kessler and Klingan shooting 70% would be an even bigger jump