Zach Edey out here looking like Shaq!

[Im Still Ballin]

I'm trying not to post anything about him because it's early days. But I had to share this bully-ball drop step!

https://streamable.com/mclzob

[Im Still Ballin]

Cutting straight through Myles Turner like butter!

https://x.com/NBA/status/1845978518829597034

[Proctor]

:bowdown: Edey-Amin!

No reason he shouldn't be at least a more offensively capable Steven Adams.


https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/AgYx2zmAt99o3oA_1pGMN_NWQKU=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Idi-Amin-Dada-58b9cd813df78c353c38387a.jpg

@ ISB

[Im Still Ballin]

:bowdown: Edey-Amin!

No reason he shouldn't be at least a more offensively capable Steven Adams.


https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/AgYx2zmAt99o3oA_1pGMN_NWQKU=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Idi-Amin-Dada-58b9cd813df78c353c38387a.jpg

@ ISB

:bowdown:

Early days but he's looking good. He's more than held up on defense and you absolutely cannot switch a ball screen with him out there. We're not going to see any Rudy Gobert-esque offensive possessions where the center can't score on a forward or guard mismatch.

[Im Still Ballin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB3rFVfdW8U&pp=ygUJemFjaCBlZGV5


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_9tWJUvOGM&pp=ygUJemFjaCBlZGV5

[999Guy]

He better be able to defend really well or pass really well because otherwise he’s just Jonás Val or Enes Kanter.

[Hey Yo]

I'm pulling for him to do well.

[ralph_i_el]

He better be able to defend really well or pass really well because otherwise he’s just Jonás Val or Enes Kanter.

He's probably already a better passer than those guys. Hard to be a worse defender than Enes. I think he will be better than JV overall.

[Im Still Ballin]

He better be able to defend really well or pass really well because otherwise he’s just Jonás Val or Enes Kanter.

:roll:

The shifting of the goalposts is hilarious. First, it was that he wasn't going to be good enough to even be in the NBA. That he'd be lucky to get drafted in the 2nd round. Now it's that he's only going to be a 10+ year NBA veteran LOL.

[Im Still Ballin]

Rick Carlisle's a fan:


"History will likely show that where he was chosen in the draft was low," Carlisle said. "He's gonna have impact. He was drafted by an organization that believes in size and they believe in what he accomplished. Two-time national player of the year is a big deal. It's rare that that can even happen in today's world of college basketball. I have great respect for what he accomplished at Purdue and a lot of respect for what he did tonight because he put a will and a physicality into the game that we simply did not match."

[ILLsmak]

:roll:

The shifting of the goalposts is hilarious. First, it was that he wasn't going to be good enough to even be in the NBA. That he'd be lucky to get drafted in the 2nd round. Now it's that he's only going to be a 10+ year NBA veteran LOL.

He’s gonna be hitting 3s soon, too, bet. The power on that first one was nice. If he was the dude to bring big back in the nba, I’d be happy. Edey is my guy. Still upset he didn’t body clingan 1v1. Hopefully he took it to heart. He seems like hes been in gym. Unlike wemby, i think edey could benefit from strength even with injury risk.

Would be nice if he could fight in and catch lower, tho.

-Smak

[90sgoat]

He looks good, not perfect, with some flaws, but I'm sure he'll have an impact in a league that is moving back towards being bigger.

He seems to have a very good touch, not quite Jokic, but reminiscent with that soft hook shot. Also is very big and strong, reminds me of Yao Ming in build.

He does have that somewhat typical slowness up and down the court of people his size, so you'd want a team that want to play him. Ultimately that's probably what's going to decide if he becomes a star or a suped up Valanciuanas as mentioned. Jokic, Wemby, Kristaps even, they can actually move very quick up the floor.

[Im Still Ballin]

He looks good, not perfect, with some flaws, but I'm sure he'll have an impact in a league that is moving back towards being bigger.

He seems to have a very good touch, not quite Jokic, but reminiscent with that soft hook shot. Also is very big and strong, reminds me of Yao Ming in build.

He's much longer than Yao and has a stronger upper body. 7'11" wingspan vs. 7'5" wingspan. His build is more reminiscent of a bigger Mark Eaton or Tim Duncan. Long-limbed, wide-bodied, with a relatively low center of gravity for his height. The only similarity with Ming is the sturdy base.


He does have that somewhat typical slowness up and down the court of people his size, so you'd want a team that want to play him. Ultimately that's probably what's going to decide if he becomes a star or a suped up Valanciuanas as mentioned. Jokic, Wemby, Kristaps even, they can actually move very quick up the floor.

He 100% is faster than Jokic. 3.42 three-quarter court sprint, a 3.19 lane agility test, and a 3.01 shuttle run. I don't think you realize just how mobile Zach is. That's the number one thing everyone has been saying during the preseason.

He has above-average mobility and athleticism for the center position despite being half a foot taller and 50-60 pounds heavier than the average five.

[ILLsmak]

How little effort he uses to dunk proves his athleticism. He does move slow, but he's huge. His lower body strength is crazy.

THIS IS MY LAST POST ON ISH. EDEY.

-Smak

[999Guy]

:roll:

The shifting of the goalposts is hilarious. First, it was that he wasn't going to be good enough to even be in the NBA. That he'd be lucky to get drafted in the 2nd round. Now it's that he's only going to be a 10+ year NBA veteran LOL.

Eh. First time I've ever watched him play. I'm just being real. Boban was a per minute monster. Probably a legitimately good offensive player but still couldn't get minutes because of the defensive issues.

[Im Still Ballin]

Eh. First time I've ever watched him play. I'm just being real.

Fair enough. I wasn't speaking to anything I thought you had said specifically—just things many were saying. Zach becoming a Zubac/Jonas Val/Kanter would be a huge success within that framework.

But I guess that would be a disappointment if you believe in his gargantuan upside. Many are reevaluating that upside now that they've seen him work against NBA centers like Kessler, Clingan, Vucevic, Turner, Gafford, and Lively Jr. And more than hang on defense. But it's early. Promising signs though...


Boban was a per minute monster. Probably a legitimately good offensive player but still couldn't get minutes because of the defensive issues.

Boban and Zach are only comparable with regard to size. Edey's superior mobility and athleticism give him a legitimate chance to not just survive on defense but actively thrive. He's looked more than passable so far.

Marjanovic obviously had neither the mobility nor the stamina to play extended minutes. And Boban was a plus-minus on/off net positive across his NBA career anyway. Zach could be that per-minute scorer Boban was but with the actual capacity to play starter-level minutes.

Boban Marjanovic 2009 Reebok Eurocamp:

4.48 three-quarter court sprint
19" standing vertical leap
23" max vertical leap

Zach Edey 2024 NBA Combine:

3.42 three-quarter court sprint
26" standing vertical leap
31.5" max vertical leap

[Im Still Ballin]

https://x.com/DeanO_Lytics/status/1846291826015457466


Dean Oliver
@DeanO_Lytics

Zach Edey has recorded 21 postups this preseason, by far the most in the NBA per Second Spectrum tracking. On those postups, he is averaging 1.41 points per direct play. For perspective, league average on postups in 2023-24 was 1.04. "Just preseason" qualifier, of course.

[Proctor]

Edey to me at minimum looks like a Jonas Val who actually plays to his strengths, doesn't try to do finesse shit (Val often plays like he thinks he's Hakeem instead of just flat out bullying people down low) and Edey might even be more of a bruiser. That's a pretty good player and there is no reason he can't have a Steven Adams like impact right away averaging like 9-12 PPG and 12 boards a game if he starts. The game certainly has a place for that kind of player.

[beasted]

He's too slow. Playing in a drop doesn't work in the NBA anymore. Who cares what he does on offense. Even Jokic knows he has to get his fat ass out on the perimeter to hedge or show and recover.

So this makes him a bench player. I could see him being a high impact bench guy most his career like a Gortat.

[90sgoat]

He's too slow. Playing in a drop doesn't work in the NBA anymore. Who cares what he does on offense. Even Jokic knows he has to get his fat ass out on the perimeter to hedge or show and recover.

So this makes him a bench player. I could see him being a high impact bench guy most his career like a Gortat.

Gobert is the same and he found a niche. Team construction is key. If you have long and athletic wings, you should be able to offset some of it with help defense.

[beasted]

Gobert is the same and he found a niche. Team construction is key. If you have long and athletic wings, you should be able to offset some of it with help defense.

Gobert at 32 and taller is still more athletic. You're right that fit makes everything happen, but some guys (Ex: Simmons) are just a little too specific to be relied on as the key cog of a deep playoff team. The lineup would need to be literally tailor fit.

I think he'll be a solid rotation guy, which should be enough of an order. He will not, however, be an all-star aka Shaq, IMO.

[BarberSchool]

I’ve said for years Thai cat will have a long productive NBA career.

All the stat nerd N!ggas saying “he simply isn’t an NBA player”, on some pick and roll defense excuse, I just never saw it.

I saw 70% Zubac, 25% Yao Ming, and 5% Mark Eaton. Hella potential. Edey ain’t as slow as his long strides make him look. Hella little short leg dudes like tyreke hill look way faster than Usain Bolt long smooth gliding strides.