The Memphis Grizzlies all in all had a successful preseason, with star point guard Ja Morant avoiding a major injury scare and first round pick Zach Edey proving that he is more than capable of translating his game to the next level. Edey was brought in to Memphis to provide some depth for a frontcourt that hasn’t had a ton of talent in the Morant era, and if the early results are any indication, the Grizzlies could have a very serviceable center for the long haul.
One person who was very impressed with what he’s seen from Edey so far this preseason is none other than former NBA champion and basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, who recently took to the “Ticket & The Truth” podcast with former Celtics teammate Paul Pierce to relay his thoughts on the rookie.
“(He) look like (expletive) Zach Alcindor,” Garnett said, per Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal. “That (expletive) look like Yao (Ming).”
Garnett then had a joke for Pierce.
“He had Myles Turner looking like you and Prince in the backyard,” Garnett said.
Indeed, Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner was largely powerless to stop Edey’s barrage of sky hooks and other shots around the basket in a recent preseason matchup between the two teams, giving Grizzlies fans a lot of optimism for what’s to come this season.
Can the Grizzlies compete in the west?
The Grizzlies largely have the same core of players that got them to the Western Conference semifinals in the 2022 season and propelled them to the conference’s number two seed the following year.
Last year, the team shook things up by trading for point guard and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart prior to the season, but the 2024-25 campaign was largely a lost one for the Grizzlies due to the shocking amount of injuries the team was forced to endure.
In 2024-25, the Grizzlies should get a chance to see what they look like at full strength, with Morant theoretically just now entering the prime years of his career at the age of 25.
Morant remains one of the most electric playmakers in the NBA, and perhaps the Grizzlies will be able to have the added benefit of being able to “sneak up” on teams this year since they’ve been out of the spotlight for so long.
In any case, Memphis is set to open up its season on October 23 on the road vs the Utah Jazz.
