Zach Edey's injury in December derailed what looked like a promising turnaround for the Grizzlies earlier in the season. Edey was already making a significant sophomore leap, but fast forward to now, and the questions about his long-term health only continue to grow.
Grizzlies fans already saw how impactful of a defender Edey was becoming this season. Regardless of who is on the roster, Zach Edey is a major floor raiser whenever he is healthy. The Grizzlies must boost the overall talent level on the roster; however, Zach Edey and Cedric Coward figure to be key building blocks for the next era in Memphis.
Questions about Edey's long-term health are entirely fair
Zach Edey appeared in 66 games as a rookie despite his ankle injuries beginning in his rookie Summer League campaign. Unfortunately, he appeared in just 11 games this season and needed another ankle surgery despite his offseason procedure.
It's simple. The Grizzlies will remain competitive if Edey gives them a similar level of availability to his rookie season. If Edey misses significant time like this season or has recurring issues in his ankle, the Grizzlies' path to winning gets way harder. Given that lower body injuries can be detrimental to 7-footers, Edey's health will continue being a very important conversation.
Sam Vecenie's words sum up the situation perfectly
The most recent episode of Game Theory Podcast w/ Sam Vecenie ranked the tanking teams that are best positioned past this season. Sam Vecenie ranked the Grizzlies at #5, while Bryce Simon had the Washington Wizards at that spot instead. Vecenie touched on many different topics, such as the young players on the roster and the NBA Draft, but his words about Zach Edey stood out the most.
"They have Zach Edey on the roster, and Edey, when he plays, is an absolute monster. It's just whether or not he is gonna be healthy long-term. And hopefully, this you know, the work that they've done this year kind of allows him to be healthy and play more games going forward. "Sam Vecenie
Vecenie also praised Edey's dominance as a defensive player and talked about his ability to punish mismatches. However, his quote about Edey's long-term health holds the keys to the entire Grizzlies' rebuild. It is no secret how dominant Edey was this season before getting hurt, but he needs to be healthy past this season.
The Grizzlies also need to boost the frontcourt depth behind Zach Edey in order to best replicate his impact when he is off the floor. Due to his combination of defense, rebounding, and screening ability, Zach Edey's skillset is extremely valuable for a Grizzlies team that needs winning skillsets.
The Grizzlies already traded Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the past year. With Ja Morant potentially being traded next, the Grizzlies will almost certainly have an entirely new core in Memphis. There are plenty of future assets and promising young talents, but Zach Edey holds the keys to the whole rebuild.