NBA not enthralled with Zach Edney

[Inyatkin]

Yes, we are all very anti Wemby

He "jacks up threes" so that is bad, even though he's tall, which is good. So confusing.

 

[Kenny11]

I think Edey can score and rebound and draw fouls in the nba. If a team really focused on getting the ball to him down low he would be fine but it still might not offset how much he would get burned when opponents get him out on the perimeter on defense…and even so, which team is really going to make him to focal point of their offense? I still think he’s worth a first round pick but in the late teens or 20s.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I think if the NBA wanted him, he wouldn’t still be in college. He’s won every award possible in the last two years, why else would he still be playing in college. It stinks but staying in college for 4 years is the equivalent to a seemingly really nice house that stays on the market for too long in a sought after area. People wonder what’s wrong with it…

This also goes along with my tin foil hat theory on why DC was practicing corner threes last week. Edey doesn’t move from the paint on defense and a big man that can shoot would carve him up.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Guys. If you look at Edey and Clingan and do t see the difference, then we can’t have this argument.

All edey people see is the numbers .ppg, rpg.

How would edey dominate in the nba. They would throw it to him in the post 25 times a game?

Really? Is he really Joel Embiid? And Embiid doesn’t even play back to the basket all the time.

Edey isn’t shaq, isn’t dwight Howard and isn’t Yao Ming.

I think he can be a good nba player. But, how does he fit into the nba game? Defensively, who does he defend?

You want him out there against Kristaps and Horford?

I like him. I would love for Celtics to get him at 30. There comes a point in the draft where you don’t need a star, you need a rotation guy. Edey can be that. He is absolutely an nba player. But I can see Donovan anchoring the defense on a really good team. Like, OKC would die for Clingan right now to pair with Chet and SGA.

 

[3rdbass]

There are plenty of teams that dump draft picks at every turn, so my wisdom is not that unique. On the other hand, those that think putting 5 guys on the 3 point line and passing around the perimeter will generate scoring are going the way of the beeper salesmen.

Lol! Go back to the 80's. Enjoy. The game has passed you by. The game is all about running up and down the court and putting up 3's or going to the basket for a dunk/layup. Big guys are normally needed to rebound, defend the paint(though have to be mobile to switch on smaller men and be rim runners(which Edey is just too slow for in the NBA). Can you imagine Edey running back and forth for a whole quarter and trying to block shots? He is too slow to do that. Maybe he can be a bench player when they want to change it up for 5 minutes and throw it inside.

 

[NJHusky]

I don’t watch much nba, but are there any teams that design there offense/defense around a stationary big? Doubt anyone will do that for Zach.

 

[Umami Zen]

Hard for me to imagine Edey chasing Wemby or Chet around for any extended period of time.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

That the NBA doesn’t value Edey is an indictment of the present-day NBA and its decision to roll out a product that long ago decided to sell the “Michael Jordan superstar” marketing image to its audience.

Winning, and competition, are a distant second to packaging when it comes to the NBA product. Edey doesn’t fit the package. The NBA rules as reffed don’t support a player of his talent in the way that college basketball does.

College basketball and the NBA are two different sports. College basketball is all about winning. The NBA is about selling a product first and foremost.

Shaq’s style of play, bullyball, would’ve resulted in him being undervalued in the NBA draft in current times. That is a reflection of the NBA being only a step above professional wrestling. Sad when compared to how the NBA looked and operated before Michael Jordan retired.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I don’t watch much nba, but are there any teams that design there offense/defense around a stationary big? Doubt anyone will do that for Zach.

I think Edey’s ceiling is as a matchup-dependent bench big. The question is whether a team is going to want to burn a roster spot on him with as little versatility as he’ll have in the NBA. No one is going to be designing an offense or defense around him.

 

[MexicoHusky]

Heres a question... how much better is Edey than Thabeet? Offensively he's better. Probably a lot better. Does he get up and down the floor better?... maybe a bit. But Thabeet was a better shot blocker. Maybe a lot better. Which may indicate lesser lateral quickness.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Hard for me to imagine Edey chasing Wemby or Chet around for any extended period of time.

If nelson is right, there should be an inefficiency whereby the mismatch of those guys on Edey would actually favor Edey, but nobody expects this to happen.

 

[UConnJim]

I think there is a place for Edey in the NBA. In the previous generations of the NBA, each team had to have a couple of big guys to guard players like Kareem, Shaq, David Robinson, Ewing, Moses Malone, Olajuwan,... Right now, most NBA teams would have nobody on their roster to guard a skilled very tall big in the post. Edey has a standing reach of almost 10 feet which would probably be the second highest of all time in the NBA behind Taco Fall.

Think about this, NBA teams shoot a range of 43.6% to 50.7% from 2 and 34.5% to 39% from 3. So, right now it makes sense to shoot more 3s than 2s as you get a higher expected point outcome per shot. But, what if you had a player than can shoot 60%+ from 2 like Edey? The expected point outcome of 60% from 2 equals 40% from 3. That said, you would have to structure your offense to factor in a big and many teams wouldn't want to do it.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Heres a question... how much better is Edey than Thabeet? Offensively he's better. Probably a lot better. Does he get up and down the floor better?... maybe a bit. But Thabeet was a better shot blocker. Maybe a lot better. Which may indicate lesser lateral quickness.

Thabeet was soft with a mediocre work ethic.

I don't think Edey would suffer from those in the same way. But he would be very limited on both ends. Look at how Purdue uses him.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I agree. The current 1 and 2 seeds in both conferences definitely don't play 5's that shoot from the perimeter.

The NBA needs more teams that play 5 generic wings that jack low percentage 3's when they aren't making lower percentage kamikaze drives to the rim, because "analytics".

The Porzingis for Smart trade may go down as the most lopsided trade in NBA history where there was not a rookie or young player involved. Porzingis and Smart both performed as expected last year and this year, yet somehow the Celtics traded Smart for Porzingis. The Celtics traded for one of the three or four best centers in the NBA, in his prime, for an overrated, poor shooting head case that depended on speed and was going to turn 30 soon. The fact that no one offered the Wizards more for Porzingis is something that every NBA GM can contemplate when the Celtics win the NBA Finals in 5 games and are the prohibitive favorite to win another title next year too.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

I think Edey’s ceiling is as a matchup-dependent bench big. The question is whether a team is going to want to burn a roster spot on him with as little versatility as he’ll have in the NBA. No one is going to be designing an offense or defense around him.

Oh, he'll definitely be on a roster. Every team has 15, so maybe 4 at the end of the bench for development. Whoever takes him will hope that they can teach him to shoot, and increase his footspeed. Someone was going to occupy those roster spots....why not him ?
He'll have 3-4 years to make himself useful, just like every rookie.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

The NBA needs more teams that play 5 generic wings that jack low percentage 3's when they aren't making lower percentage kamikaze drives to the rim, because "analytics".

The Porzingis for Smart trade may go down as the most lopsided trade in NBA history where there was not a rookie or young player involved. Porzingis and Smart both performed as expected last year and this year, yet somehow the Celtics traded Smart for Porzingis. The Celtics traded for one of the three or four best centers in the NBA, in his prime, for an overrated, poor shooting head case that depended on speed and was going to turn 30 soon. The fact that no one offered the Wizards more for Porzingis is something that every NBA GM can contemplate when the Celtics win the NBA Finals in 5 games and are the prohibitive favorite to win another title next year too.

The return for Porzingis was poor because he was constantly injured. The Celtics took a chance because they had a roster that could absorb it. That's no mystery.

You still haven't acknowledged that the top 2 seeds in both conferences have bigs that shoot from the perimeter. I didn't say anything about wings.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Lol! Go back to the 80's. Enjoy. The game has passed you by. The game is all about running up and down the court and putting up 3's or going to the basket for a dunk/layup. Big guys are normally needed to rebound, defend the paint(though have to be mobile to switch on smaller men and be rim runners(which Edey is just too slow for in the NBA). Can you imagine Edey running back and forth for a whole quarter and trying to block shots? He is too slow to do that. Maybe he can be a bench player when they want to change it up for 5 minutes and throw it inside.

The NBA is about offensive efficiency, not running up and down the court. There is nothing more efficient than a tall player that is one move away from a 60%+ shot, and if he misses it, has about a 45% chance of a rebound which will get him a 70% shot. Sanogo, Edey, and Clingan prove this. Even Samson Johnson is an incredibly efficient offensive weapon, albeit one that does not scale very well. On the other hand, how many "3 and D" guys are there that shoot in the mid-30's, jacking up low percentage shots, when they can get their shot off at all, not spreading the court, and being out of position for a rebound?

A post up is a much higher percentage play than dribble drive penetration because a post up is one move and the player is open at the basket, whereas dribble penetration typically takes multiple moves, and by the time the player gets to the rim, help has arrived.

For people that understand math and spacing, that Center INCREASES the 3 point shooting percentage for a team by pulling defenders to the basket and taking the weakest 3 point shooter out of the offense. Teams shouldn't want more 3 point attempts, they should want more 3 point attempts by their best shooters. So, if you want more and better 3 point shots, play a center. Or keep swinging the ball around the perimeter like Charlotte or Portland and see where that gets you.

Innovation in basketball typically goes up, not down, and there are more college teams playing traditional centers, because they realize it improves their offensive efficiency. The pros will come around.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The return for Porzingis was poor because he was constantly injured. The Celtics took a chance because they had a roster that could absorb it. That's no mystery.

You still haven't acknowledged that the top 2 seeds in both conferences have bigs that shoot from the perimeter. I didn't say anything about wings.

It wasn't taking a chance. Porzingis is awesome, everyone knew exactly what he was, and 95% of the league passed anyway, because they are morons. If I was an NBA owner, I would have fired my GM the day that trade was announced, because unless there is a major injury, the Celtics will rule the NBA for years as long as Stevens can cobble together even a mediocre supporting cast around Tatum, Brown and Porzingis.

I am not a Celtics fan, which is why the trade pissed me off.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Never heard of Zach Edney so not surprising the NBA is not enthralled with him.

He may be related to Tyus.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

In the West, the Nuggets were the worst team to win a title since Olajuwon's first title in Houston, but Denver has a center. The Timberwolves are one of the best teams in the west with basically three guys that can play, an old point guard with a lot of miles on his body, and a couple of OK bench players, plus a bad coach. But they have two centers.

Bigger is better in a lot of things, including basketball.

 

[3rdbass]

The NBA is about offensive efficiency, not running up and down the court. There is nothing more efficient than a tall player that is one move away from a 60%+ shot, and if he misses it, has about a 45% chance of a rebound which will get him a 70% shot. Sanogo, Edey, and Clingan prove this. Even Samson Johnson is an incredibly efficient offensive weapon, albeit one that does not scale very well. On the other hand, how many "3 and D" guys are there that shoot in the mid-30's, jacking up low percentage shots, when they can get their shot off at all, not spreading the court, and being out of position for a rebound?

A post up is a much higher percentage play than dribble drive penetration because a post up is one move and the player is open at the basket, whereas dribble penetration typically takes multiple moves, and by the time the player gets to the rim, help has arrived.

For people that understand math and spacing, that Center INCREASES the 3 point shooting percentage for a team by pulling defenders to the basket and taking the weakest 3 point shooter out of the offense. Teams shouldn't want more 3 point attempts, they should want more 3 point attempts by their best shooters. So, if you want more and better 3 point shots, play a center. Or keep swinging the ball around the perimeter like Charlotte or Portland and see where that gets you.

Innovation in basketball typically goes up, not down, and there are more college teams playing traditional centers, because they realize it improves their offensive efficiency. The pros will come around.

I'm guessing you don't watch much of the current NBA? NBA is about moving the ball fast and trying to get baskets before the the other team can play a set defense. That is why transitional 3's are so important in that game now. Even when teams play half-court game it is about going to the basket quickly or have fast ball movement to get an open shot. There isn't much time for slow traditional post game that Edey has. Edey would have to run a lot up and down and move fast and that isn't part of his game. I can see him being a change of pace of guy for a few minutes but he really isn't an ideal fit for how the NBA game is now. Bigs are now have to be able to dribble and hit outside shots like Wemby, Joker and Chet or be moblile rim runners who can block shots. I don't see Edey fitting either of those molds. Like another poster said there is a reason why a 7-4 he is still playing his Senior Year at high school. Great college player whose game doesn't translate well to the NBA game.

 

[3rdbass]

In the West, the Nuggets were the worst team to win a title since Olajuwon's first title in Houston, but Denver has a center. The Timberwolves are one of the best teams in the west with basically three guys that can play, an old point guard with a lot of miles on his body, and a couple of OK bench players, plus a bad coach. But they have two centers.

Bigger is better in a lot of things, including basketball.

You are really comparing Joker with what he can do offensively to Edey? LOL! Joker is a freak of a big man who can shoot from the outside, pass from anywhere on the court and is basically a Point Center. Edey is for different of a big man than Joker that there is no comparison.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I think there is a place for Edey in the NBA. In the previous generations of the NBA, each team had to have a couple of big guys to guard players like Kareem, Shaq, David Robinson, Ewing, Moses Malone, Olajuwan,... Right now, most NBA teams would have nobody on their roster to guard a skilled very tall big in the post. Edey has a standing reach of almost 10 feet which would probably be the second highest of all time in the NBA behind Taco Fall.

Think about this, NBA teams shoot a range of 43.6% to 50.7% from 2 and 34.5% to 39% from 3. So, right now it makes sense to shoot more 3s than 2s as you get a higher expected point outcome per shot. But, what if you had a player than can shoot 60%+ from 2 like Edey? The expected point outcome of 60% from 2 equals 40% from 3. That said, you would have to structure your offense to factor in a big and many teams wouldn't want to do it.

Bad analysis. A lot of those twos are shot clock bailouts or kamikaze drives to the hoop. I will be the first to agree that a full speed dribble drive from 30 feet out is a low percentage play which will result in a turnover or a low percentage shot. It is hard for the driver to maintain control, and the defense is going to be waiting at the hoop when the driver gets there. A post up is one move and an open shot from 5-10 feet with the shooter under control, going straight up and down. A much higher percentage play, and if the post up misses his shot, he has a good chance to get the ball back because it will be a short rebound. A short putback is the highest points per shot attempt that a player can try.

Also, it is easier to kick out for a 3 if the passer has his feet set and is under control. That is hard to do for a penetrator. So if you want more and better 3's, you should want someone down low. If you want lower percentage 3's, keep playing jack (3's) and crash (drives) basketball with tweeners.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I'm guessing you don't watch much of the current NBA? NBA is about moving the ball fast and trying to get baskets before the the other team can play a set defense. That is why transitional 3's are so important in that game now. Even when teams play half-court game it is about going to the basket quickly or have fast ball movement to get an open shot. There isn't much time for slow traditional post game that Edey has. Edey would have to run a lot up and down and move fast and that isn't part of his game. I can see him being a change of pace of guy for a few minutes but he really isn't an ideal fit for how the NBA game is now. Bigs are now have to be able to dribble and hit outside shots like Wemby, Joker and Chet or be moblile rim runners who can block shots. I don't see Edey fitting either of those molds. Like another poster said there is a reason why a 7-4 he is still playing his Senior Year at high school. Great college player whose game doesn't translate well to the NBA game.

It should translate. Edey is effective at both ends. If a team wants to run, it wants a tall rim protector that can get the rebound and fire an outlet down court. On the other end, it should want an offensive force down low that can pass and shoot at a high percentage and can challenge the other team's outlet if they get the rebound.

You also don't need 5 guys on the court trying to do exactly the same thing. Typically the 4th or 5th identical wing isn't really that good. The comparison you should be making is would you rather have Tim Hardaway, Jr. or Zach Edey as the 5th guy on the court? Positionless basketball is stupid unless that is all you have to work with, so I can see a college team doing it, but why would a pro team do it willingly? Someone needs to get rebounds. Someone needs to protect the rim. Someone needs to get putbacks. It doesn't matter if that player is 6'8 or 7'2, but someone needs to do those things, and bigger is usually better. Can Tim Hardaway, Jr. do that stuff, or is he just another mediocre, high volume, shooter with a lot of weaknesses in his game? There are a lot of Tim Hardaway Jr.'s in the NBA.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You are really comparing Joker with what he can do offensively to Edey? LOL! Joker is a freak of a big man who can shoot from the outside, pass from anywhere on the court and is basically a Point Center. Edey is for different of a big man than Joker that there is no comparison.

Good players are good players, and everyone doesn't need to be the Joker. We are talking about making Edey part of an 8 man rotation when the alternatives are generally some version of a 6'6, mediocre shooting, mediocre defense wing.