Canadian NBA rookie Zach Edey is living up to his advanced billing as just nine games into his NBA career, the Memphis Grizzlies centre scored 25 points and 12 boards on Monday night.
Both are careers highs for the seven-foot-four-inch rookie, although his team fell short to the Brooklyn Nets by a score of 106-104.
Edey, who was selected ninth overall in the 2024 NBA Entry Draft, is currently the favourite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Zach Edey blocks Schroder and then… hits a walkup three??? pic.twitter.com/46127obR4o
— eric (@EricTweetsNBA) <a href=«https://twitter.com/EricTweetsNBA/status/1853622666365972879?ref_src=» https:>November 5, 2024
Fanduel has Edey’s odds at +380, just ahead of Washington Wizards rookie Carlton Carrington (+500) who was selected with the 14th pick in last June’s draft.
The top two picks in last June’s draft, Alexandre Sarr, who was selected second by the Hawks, and Zaccharie Risacher, who went first overall to the Washington Wizards, are the only other players with odds currently below 10-1.
Monday night’s output was a far cry from his opening game of the season, as he fouled out of the Grizzlies’ opener against the Utah Jazz in just 14 minutes of playing time.
Zach Edey is the only player since the NBA-ABA merger to start his NBA debut but foul out after playing 15 minutes or less.
The Grizzlies still won the game, 126-124. pic.twitter.com/bVKEbvhJg0
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) <a href=«https://twitter.com/OptaSTATS/status/1849304747284595160?ref_src=» https:>October 24, 2024
The quick exit set a new standard according to Opta Stats, as the Toronto native became the first player since the NBA-ABA merger to foul out so quickly.
Edey, who was drafted by the Grizzlies out of Purdue,
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