Zach Edey's NBA Development and Impact as a Rookie Player

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00:00Let me ask you about Zach.

00:04Now I'm a big believer in the kid because I have never in my life seen a guy seal the

00:11way he sealed in college basketball, the way he would stick his ass out and get the rock

00:16and get in position in the low block and make a little mini hook.

00:20It was like taking candy from a baby.

00:22And I said, I don't care what anyone says, because they all said he was going to suck

00:27in the NBA, be a terrible draft pick, terrible player, never make it, never amount to a hill

00:34of beans.

00:35And I thought they were all full of Shaq.

00:38How is he?

00:39And what's it like watching him kind of develop and come into his own?

00:45He's been really solid.

00:47I mean, he still has those moments like a lot of rookies do where the game looks a little

00:51fast for him and especially for him at his size.

00:54Anthony Davis is a really good low post defender, and he gave him fifths the three times or

00:59the two times he's played against him.

01:01Zach came back Sunday, had a double double, a lot of that on the offensive end, cleaning

01:05up misses, which is exactly what the Grizzlies were asking him to do.

01:09They knew they were going to play fast.

01:10They just said, look, we're not asking you to become faster or be a 25 point per game

01:15night.

01:16Just be Zach Eady.

01:17Be 7'4", 300 pounds, set big screens, roll to the basket, protect the rim, clean up on

01:22the offensive glass, and score 12-14 and grab 7-8 rebounds.

01:27And that's what he's doing.

01:28He does have nice touch.

01:30It's going to come with confidence when he shoots it.

01:32He had a great look over Davis Sunday night, but came up short.

01:36I think sometimes he goes up and thinks, should I be shooting this like a lot of rookies will.

01:41He's a really quiet guy.

01:42He works very, very hard.

01:44But I've been amazed at his shooting ability.

01:47He doesn't take a lot of threes, but when he takes them, he makes them.

01:50I mean, he hit one point with six of his first nine.

01:52Now that's not going to hold up, but if this guy makes one out of every three, it's a bonus

01:57and he's not going to shoot them all the time.

02:00He's going to be a big piece of what happens moving forward.

02:04Now will he be the starter or will it remain Brandon Clark?

02:07That's going to be a Taylor Jenkins decision because Brandon's more athletic and knows

02:12job better and knows how to be ready.

02:14There's been multiple times this year, and you've seen this a lot probably, Scotty, where

02:19a guy that has incredible court vision, your teammates aren't always ready for the ball.

02:23Brandon is when it comes to job.

02:25Zach is not quite there yet fully, so that will play a factor in it.

02:29But he unfortunately rolled his ankle, came back, but he looks good to go.

02:33It'll be interesting to see what he does Thursday night against a Warriors team that doesn't

02:37have a lot of size, but has Draymond Green.

02:39And oh, by the way, the guy you mentioned in that skirmish, Dennis Schroeder, went to

02:42the Warriors, so we're going to see him for a fifth time this year.

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