Zach Edey made his NBA Summer League debut for the Memphis Grizzlies Monday, picking up where he left off as the back-to-back Naismith College Player of the Year by recording a double-double in a loss to the Utah Jazz.
Utilizing his size advantage, he had 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 15 rebounds and four blocks. Just an incredibly Zach Edey stat line.
Apparently his performance was enough to convince bettors his game will translate in the regular season, because his odds to win NBA Rookie of the Year continued to improve after the game.
They had already moved from +2500 at open to +900 last week. Now, the No. 9 overall pick is at +700 to win the award, which ranks second only to No. 2 pick Alex Sarr at +600.
Zach Edey Rookie of the Year odds @BetMGM
+2500: Open
+1200: June 26th
+700: Now pic.twitter.com/iEe1MMVR7C
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) July 9, 2024
Zach Edey posts a double-double and tips in a last second shot to force OT in his first Summer League game with the Grizzlies
14 PTS
15 REB
4 BLKAn impressive start for the 9th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft… pic.twitter.com/vgoumIeeNq
— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2024
On one hand, it’s easy to see Edey’s 7-foot-4 frame and imagine how hard he’d be for anyone to stop, no matter how veteran they are. At the same time, Edey’s offensive game will be incredibly reliant on paint touches and offensive boards, which isn’t typically the type of player to win ROY.
The last player to win without any type of perimeter game was Ben Simmons, who still averaged 16 points to go with eight rebounds and eight assists. If Edey ends up being a double-double machine for the Grizzlies, it may be tough to deny him the award in a weak class. I’m just not convinced he’ll be able to have that type of impact right away for a Grizzlies team that should be more competitive in 2024 with a healthy roster.
