Grizzlies’ Zach Edey ready to learn from matchup against Anthony Davis

On November 14, 2024By Littum

LOS ANGELES — Memphis Grizzlies guard Luke Kennard tipped down the baseline after cutting and catching a pass from Santi Aldama in the fourth quarter Wednesday night against Los Angeles Lakers. As Kennard approached the rim, 6-foot-10 Lakers center Anthony Davis was waiting.

Kennard thought better of shooting over Davis and fired a pass to 7-4 Grizzlies center Zach Edey, who finished the sequence with an easy layup.

Timeout Lakers.

Memphis trailed by a point at the time, with Edey arguably the team’s most valuable player to that point in the game. What followed was a big learning lesson for the Grizzlies rookie.

The Lakers drew a play out of the timeout designed to get Edey in on the action. Anthony Davis ran to the perimeter to the top of the 3-point line to set a screen for Lebron James with Edey in close pursuit. After Davis set the screen for James, Edey ran toward James, only to be hit by an unexpected back screen from Lakers guard Austin Reaves. The result was an open James dunk.

Los Angeles targeted Edey down the stretch before the Grizzlies center fouled out of the Grizzlies’ 128-123 loss. Edey finished with 12 points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes.

“It’s different,” Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart said. “He’s getting used to it. Give him a little more time and he’ll catch on. That kind of stuff as a rookie, we kind of knew. That’s what teams will do — try to pick him just because they know the game a little bit better.”

Zach Edey is making an impact

The Lakers (7-4) may have thrown the final punch, but it was the shots from Edey that forced them to counter. With Brandon Clarke out, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins opted to start Jay Huff.

Huff struggled in the first quarter as the Lakers got off to a strong start on the glass. Memphis was outscored 12-6 in the first quarter and trailed by 12 points.

Jenkins noticed late in the first quarter that Edey’s presence made a difference, so he played his 7-4 center more. Edey’s physicality helped level the game against Davis and led Memphis to cut its deficit to one after halftime.

“Overall, I thought his presence was really good,” Jenkins said.

“He’s trying to set a tone with the way he plays physically,” Smart added.

Edey’s dominance continued into the third quarter before he picked up his fourth foul. He added two offensive rebounds in the third quarter and helped force Davis into foul trouble.

Rookie lessons

Davis sat for a while, but he had a plan when he returned to the game in the fourth quarter. The Lakers center totaled 11 points last quarter. He managed to pull Edey away from the basket to create space after struggling to score over or around the 7-4 center.

Davis made two 3-pointers and pulled up for a midrange jumper for eight of his 11 points in the fourth.

In reality, most teams will live with Davis taking and making these snaps, but the targeted actions the Lakers ran against Edey will serve as good film and learning.

After James’ open dunk made it a 113-110 game, the Lakers got a stop and went back to the James-Davis pick-and-roll combination with Edey in the action. This time, Davis jumped to the 3-point line instead of rolling to the basket. Edey, chasing James, was hit by another backpick by Reaves, resulting in an open Davis 3-pointer and a Grizzlies timeout.

“It’s just actions I haven’t really guarded too much before,” Edey said. “I never guarded a 6-10 guy coming off a ball screen with a back screen on top, so it’s just making adjustments play by play. I’ve seen it once, so I should be good next time.”

Edey’s next challenge comes against the Golden State Warriors, who arguably possess the NBA’s most lethal pick-and-roll tandem over the past decade in Draymond Green and Steph Curry.

It’s becoming abundantly clear that the most physical and best-rounding version of the Grizzlies is when Edey is on the floor. He changed the game Wednesday night in those areas.

But what’s also clear is that teams will attack Edey in late-game situations until the Grizzlies rookie catches on and adjusts.

“He’ll get a feel for the game,” Kennard said. “Especially down the stretch in the big pressure situations. It just comes with experience and knowing what teams do.”

Damichael Cole is the one Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.