How did the Grizzlies rookie perform in the game against the Pelicans? (December 27)

Memphis Grizzlies rookie big man Zach Edey had an active opening half in their road game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. He made his presence felt at both ends to help his team to a 74-61 halftime lead.

The No. 9 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft out of Purdue totaled eight points, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 11 minutes of play. Leading the team was Ja Morant, who had 24 points.

Zach Edey’s stats against the New Orleans Pelicans:

Heading into the game against the Pelicans, Edey was coming off a stellar showing in their previous game, finishing with a huge double-double of 21 points and 16 rebounds in the Grizzlies’ 155-126 win over the Toronto Raptors.

Memphis’ second straight win over the Pelicans moved the Grizzlies to 22-10 and into third place in the Western Conference. It was also the Grizzlies’ second straight and eighth in their last 10 games. Its next game is on Sunday in another road game against the OKC Thunder.

The rookie center from Purdue had an impressive night in the paint, going 5-5 under the basket and getting fouled twice. The Grizzlies’ big man missed his only three-pointer of the game.

Grizzlies coach impressed with Zach Edey’s play on offense While rookie Zach Edey has been a blessing on the defensive end for the Memphis Grizzlies, his coach also emphasized the important role he plays on offense to help them get things done. Taylor Jenkins moved to highlight that after Edey’s monster 21-point, 16-rebound double-double in their 155-126 home win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. The coach in particular pointed out their big man more than pulled his weight on offense.

Jenkins said of Zach Edey’s game against the Raptors (via Yahoo! Sports):

“Zach was a force tonight. His rebounding was phenomenal. A couple of blocked shots, but just discouraging shots in the paint, discouraging drives in the paint. I thought he was pretty grounded on the offensive end with his finishes. He was able to to get a better position. I thought his spacing on the offensive side was really good. Overall, he was tremendous.”

Against the Raptors, Edey was efficient on the floor, going 9-of-15 from the floor, with nine of his 16 total rebounds coming off the offensive boards. On the current season, the 7-foot-4 Edey has been steady with 11.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and an assist in 22 minutes per game. match.