Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is a big fan of the team selecting Zach Edey with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft since it gives them a legitimate center oozing with potential.
Morant was at Streets Ministries recently with other team members during a local food drive, and he made an eye-opening declaration of what lies ahead for the former Purdue Boilermakers star in his rookie NBA season.
“Definitely Rookie of the Year, I think easy too. I won’t say (he) was a surprise for me, seeing how he dominated college,” Morant said via Matt Infield of WMC Action News 5.
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“Coming into the workout, he came in and was ready to work. My summer workouts, I pretty much call it boot camp, so for him to come in and say he wanna work out with me and get through it throughout the whole week, it was big time. It made me excited to have him on the team. His skillset is much better. He’s 7’4″ but his touch, he was shooting the ball very well. Rookie of the Year is pretty much all I can say,” he emphasized.
Can Zach Edey win Rookie of the Year with the Memphis Grizzlies?
Zach Edey should slot in as the starting center for the Memphis Grizzlies to pair him with Jaren Jackson Jr., who is primarily a stretch four.
The 22-year-old big averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks on 63.4 percent from the field in his final season with the Purdue Boilermakers, and he won back-to-back Naismith Player of the Year awards.
The 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year race is considered wide open because there aren’t any standouts in this summer’s draft class. If Edey can adjust to the NBA’s fast pace right away and stay healthy, there’s a chance he could win it, especially with a contending Memphis Grizzlies squad.
