Ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies' victory over the Sacramento Kings last night, head coach Taylor Jenkins gave an update on the status of rookie center Zach Edey as he recovers from a left ankle injury. The 7'4" big man from Purdue started the team's first nine games of the season before moving to a reserve role in his last five games before suffering the injury on November 17th against the Denver Nuggets.
He has arguably played better in a reserve big role as his minutes increased, and he scored in double figures in four of the five games (he left the fifth game early) with averages of 13 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks on 58% shooting in those games. He was given a week-to-week designation for the ankle injury he suffered and began ramping up this week for a potential return. However, the team wasn't comfortable with his progress.
Edey will be out additional weeks
No official injury status has been given about Edey and the week-to-week designation doesn't give a full timeline, just that he will be evaluated every week. The Grizzlies always lean on the side of caution when dealing with injuries to their players and they are not treating Zach Edey any differently from the others.
He suffered two ankle sprains during the Grizzlies' Summer League slate, only playing two games and finishing one, their first game. His latest setback isn't related to the summer ankle sprain, as it was a four-month gap between the injuries, and he played all preseason games and the first 14 games of the regular season before his latest injury.
Taylor Jenkins said the Grizzlies “weren’t comfortable” with where Zach Edey is in his progression. Will continue to monitor him over the next couple of weeks.
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) December 5, 2024
He was recently sent down on assignment to practice with the Memphis Grizzlies G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, to see how his ankle would respond to an increased workload. However, the team didn't feel comfortable with his progression as he was initially anticipated to return this weekend.
He has now missed nine consecutive games and fell below the top five of the recent rookie power rankings. His fellow rookie teammate, Jaylen Wells, appears to have a stranglehold on the starting small forward position and a top-three standing in the Rookie of the Year race as well, so Edey will have a lot of catching up to do once he returns.
The main priority for the Grizzlies is having Zach Edey fully healthy to make an impact in the front court when the games matter the most. His latest setback might hinder his Rookie of the Year aspirations, but the season is still long, and he has remained in the top 10 of the rookie rankings, meaning the opportunity to play catch-up is there for the taking.
It also helps that the new NBA 65-game rule doesn't apply to the Rookie of the Year award or the All-Rookie teams.