Watch: Grizzlies stun NBA Draft crowd with No. 9 pick

The Memphis Grizzlies selected Purdue center Zach Edey No. 9 overall in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, drawing an audible gasp from the crowd at Barclays Center. 

— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2024

A back-to-back Naismith Player of the Year, Edey was likely going to hear his name called on Wednesday. But consensus had him being drafted much later, with most mock drafts having him going outside the top 15.

Nevertheless, the Grizzlies went against the grain. However, while there are doubts about how Edey’s game will translate to the NBA, it might look like a brilliant move in the future.

Standing at 7-foot-4 inches and 285 pounds, with the fluidity of someone much smaller, Edey is unlike anyone on the draft board this year. His size and physicality make him a lob threat and, obviously, a terror on the boards.

During his senior year at Purdue, Edey averaged 12.2 rebounds per game. Likewise, he was a deterrent at the basket, averaging 2.2 blocks in 2023-2024.

Meanwhile, Edey has also proven to be an offensive threat, posting 25.2 points while shooting 62 percent from the field last season. Furthermore, with high-level screen ability, he could be a great fit to play the Steven Adams role for the Grizzlies, opening up lanes for Ja Morant and the company.

Bob Myers of ESPN was among the majority stunned by the pick, but he believes the Edey/Adams comparisons are on the mark. He also thinks it will end the Jaren Jackson experiment at center.

“Jaren Jackson needs a five—he missed Steven Adams quite a bit,” Myers said. “I think what Memphis is saying is, ‘This is our next Steven Adams, ‘ and I think that’s okay, that’s fine.”