Being the 2024 NBA Draft had long been tabbed as a weak class from a talent perspective, it was always considered highly unlikely that consensus opinion would end up being positive regarding who the Memphis Grizzlies opted to take with the ninth overall pick.
However, the overwhelmingly negative reaction following their selection of Purdue standout Zach Edey has been far more negative than perhaps many previously expected.
From projections highlighting presumed limited upside to receiving unfavorable post-draft grades from various publications, Memphis has gotten some serious backlash for its draft night decision-making.
NBA Draft analyst Kryten Peek has even gone as far as to label the pick as being an all-time low for the league as a whole, as she publicly declared the team's selection of Edey as "one of the worst picks I've seen in Draft history."
To Joe Mullinax and Damichael Cole of Locked on Grizzlies, this is where they seem to draw the line.
Grizzlies analyst slams notion that Zach Edey is one of 'worst picks' ever
During a recent episode of the podcast, hosts Cole and Mullinax appeared rather taken aback by Peek's analysis of the Edey pick, as they would counter her strong and slanderous claims by saying that not only is he far from being one of the worst picks in league history, but, frankly, he's also not even a top contender for being the worst pick in Grizzlies history.
"Zach Edey, for all his faults, is not Hasheem Thabeet, namely because he actually gives a crap... Hasheem Thabeet could give two craps less about what was happening and that became very evident early on in his stay on the Grizzlies. And that's one Grizzlies pick. At number two overall, that was a lot worse than what Memphis did at number nine, even if you're not a big Zach Edey fan. I'll give you some other names, just off the top of my head. From the NBA perspective, Kwame Brown. Holy crap, terrible pick. What about the young man from the Cleveland Cavaliers... Anthony Bennett, right? He was the number one overall pick and he was atrocious. Then, from a Memphis perspective, Wade Baldwin IV, you guys remember Wade Baldwin IV? What about Jordan Adams? What about the fact that Jarnell Stokes became a member of the Memphis Grizzlies... instead of Nikola Jokic... Those are just off the top of my head."Joe Mullinax
Mullinax would also go on to highlight that, despite Edey's limitations (lacking quickness, athleticism, and outside jumper), there are things he provides on the hardwood that, in his eyes, the Grizzlies could use.
"He's going to be probably the best screener in the draft. That's probably the one place he's probably better than [Donovan] Clingan right now. He's going to be a great rim protector... He is going to be an excellent rebounder, he has better touch in and around the paint offensively than Clingan as well."Joe Mullinax
Zach Edey D to Zach Edey O pic.twitter.com/EK4yz9JCb1
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) April 6, 2024
Though many believe Edey to have serious limitations to his upside at the next level, it's undeniable that, even from a sheer innate perspective, he possesses attributes and skills that could immediately translate to positive contributions for the Grizzlies.
Measuring in at 7-foot-4, 300 pounds, the 22-year-old boasts a behemoth build that will prove to be absolutely menacing when setting screens, battling on the boards, and defending the paint.
On top of this, he's a proven low-post offensive weapon who just wrapped up his fourth and final season at the collegiate level leading the NCAA in scoring (983 points) and setting Purdue's all-time record for most career points (2,516).
When taking into account both his pluses and minuses, should it be determined that Zach Edey is a sure-fire star in the making with the Grizzlies? Absolutely not!
Still, to say he's already one of the worst selections made in NBA Draft history may be a tad bit of a stretch.
At least, that's what Mullinax and Cole strongly believe.