Zach Edey poll

[B-Roy]

We're comparing Zach Edey to hall-of-famers now? Come on man, the league has evolved and he's a dinosaur. You have to take the totality of the prospect and the context in which they're being drafted into account, their advanced age is simply one strike against him.

I'm all for the Blazers trying to be on the front edge of the next trend, but Zach Edey ain't it... Fine if we want to package 34 and 40 to get him later in the first, but he'd be a colossal mistake at 7 or 14.

This just sounds like someone who has bought into some preconceived notion of what Zach Edey is without actually having seen any Zach Edey. Cool. We'll see in a few years I guess.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

I saw the final two game with Edey v Clingan and I was super critical of how Edey would translate. Saying that, I'm keeping an open mind and don't think he'd be a bad gamble at 14.

 

[BIG Q]

I’m not gonna be stat guy here, but throwing a few things out without digging. I’m in San Diego on my phone. Edey is 64% down low where he has a massive advantage with height, weight, reach and wing span. Are Jokic, Wemby or Embiid shooting that number outside the paint? In 10 possessions, Edey gets 12-13 points. If Wendy, Jokic or Embiid stay out on the perimeter against Edey they have to shoot lights out to match his production. People are underestimating how truly dominant Edey is offensively down low. I look forward to seeing him against Jokic or Embiid down low. Sure, there will be a welcome to the NBA learning curve, but he will hold his own. I’d expect him getting easy buckets or lots of FT attempts, where he is at 70%. I would love to see a center actually roam the paint, score easy buckets and rebound/block shots. I do think if Edey was playing in the days of the HOFers mentioned, he would quite possibly be one too. That depends on health and drive. But all of his bonafides coming out of college are on a par with the other centers of yore. Jokic or Embiid are not switching onto Sharpe and containing him. Same for Edey and say Kyrie. People act like todays centers are locking down on the perimeter. They are getting toasted out there and play half assed defense down low because they don’t like to bang and prefer being on the perimeter where life is safer. But to match Edey they have to shoot insanely good. It just takes conviction. Edey is great at what he does. His opponents will have to play great to match his production. That is all I’m saying.

 

[BIG Q]

Agreed. My point was the difference-makers at center that he brought up are difference makers BECAUSE they impact the game from the perimeter. That's why they're difference makers. Drafting Edey doesn't solve for any of that.

Are you talking difference makers from the perimeter offensively or defensively? Offensively they have to shoot at an incredible rate to match what Edey does down low. It’s not like he is Zubac or Garza. Edey is a real low post player with go to moves. As for defense, I doubt any of the centers playing out on the perimeter are doing much. I like that Ayton is not shooting 3’s. But Ayton has very little offensively as to a go to move. He is a pnr threat because of his 10 foot shot. Edey can run the pnr also, but he has developed it into a pnr post up because of his huge advantages down low. Smart player to me. Why pick n pop when you can get a much higher shot by setting the pick and rolling into a post up? We shall see. Draft is soon.

 

[oldfisherman]

An intangible reason I lean towards drafting Edey @14 is his experience playing other sports.

How does someone his size play ice hockey? Hitting a fast pitch baseball takes yet another set of skills.

The kid has game.

 

[BigGameDamian]

 

[inconceivable]

Polls are seldom an exact science. The options aren't jointly exhaustive, either.

Yup, it doesn't include moving up to 1 to secure him, for example

 

[PtldPlatypus]

This is what we can expect to see defensively from Edey against NBA players.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Edey's looking very solid. I think he'll turn out to be a Valanciunas/Vucevic type player, which is not to be sneezed at.



(So do I think we should've taken him instead of Clingan? No.)

 

[SheedSoNasty]

Edey's looking very solid. I think he'll turn out to be a Valanciunas/Vucevic type player, which is not to be sneezed at.



(So I think we should've taken him instead of Clingan? No.)

I would have.

 

[beast blazer]

Zach with 15 points 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks 0 fouls and 0 turnovers in just 22 minutes.

The Grizzlies also managed to win, even though Edey is said to have had some mystical property that makes him "unplayable". Vucevic was only able to muster 7 points, even though NBA players can score at will on Edey.

 

[beast blazer]

I tried to tell you dumb mother fuckers. 23 points in 18 minutes. No one can guard him in the post.

 

[Ripcity4life77]

Bring it back a little beast -- you went a tad too hard on that

Also it's preseason now I am not saying he sucks but pump the breaks a little cause the Blazers just destroyed the Kings does that mean the Blazers are now a contender .... hell no -- just chill out a little

 

[KingSpeed]

Zach with 15 points 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks 0 fouls and 0 turnovers in just 22 minutes.

The Grizzlies also managed to win, even though Edey is said to have had some mystical property that makes him "unplayable". Vucevic was only able to muster 7 points, even though NBA players can score at will on Edey.

It’s not about how he matches up against centers. It’s how he matches up with guards on a switch. That said, I wanted him at 7.

 

[KingSpeed]

I tried to tell you dumb mother fuckers. 23 points in 18 minutes. No one can guard him in the post.

And only 1 turnover and 0 fouls. By a rookie big man!!!

 

[MrDraftGuy]

I tried to tell you dumb mother fuckers. 23 points in 18 minutes. No one can guard him in the post.

While it is just pre-season, I've pointed out that his efficiency levels as a prospect were on par with Zion and Jokic. That means you simply cannot stop him down low. And you can't Hack-an-Edey either. Additionally, his mobility is superior not just to other big men but other NBA prospects as well. It's similar to how Oden was outrunning and outmaneuvering guards and skinny forwards like Kevin Durant.

We'll have see how he pans out in the long haul but when I say that he has Yao's moves, Shaq/Jokic offensive efficiency in the paint, Eaton type shot blocking potential, an unblockable hook shot akin to Kareem, and a natural strength similar to Ewing.....I'm not kidding. He has those things and I think they do translate into the modern NBA. Chances are the people saying they don't have just forgotten how they looked like.

It’s not about how he matches up against centers. It’s how he matches up with guards on a switch. That said, I wanted him at 7.

His name reminds me of a certain Bones character. Would've been fitting to see him in Portland just for that, alone

 

[Natebishop3]

I tried to tell you dumb mother fuckers. 23 points in 18 minutes. No one can guard him in the post.

I guess we shall see. The rest of the league has gone away from slow, plodding, back to the basket centers. The league is about tempo now and shooting. He would have been great 20 years ago.

 

[Strenuus]

I tried to tell you dumb mother fuckers. 23 points in 18 minutes. No one can guard him in the post.

It's the preseason it means nothing.

 

[Mediocre Man]

It's the preseason it means nothing.

Didn’t you just post about being disappointed in Scoots performance?

 

[beast blazer]

All summer it was,
-"LMAO! You want to take Edey in the 1st round, LOL"
-"But wait until he has to go against REAL NBA centers, college centers are 2 inches shorter..."
-"You can't play big men in the modern nba. all that matters is their ability to defend the 3 point line and shoot 3 pointers"

But for some reason, Clingan, who seems to me, to be a shorter, less offensively adept (by a large margin) version of Edey was ok.

 

[beast blazer]

I guess we shall see. The rest of the league has gone away from slow, plodding, back to the basket centers. The league is about tempo now and shooting. He would have been great 20 years ago.

When the ball goes through the hoop it's still worth 2 points regardless of how.

Now I'm going to have to watch Edey turn into a star on another team because grinny-face Cronin was to afraid to break the status quo.

 

[Pinwheel1]

When the ball goes through the hoop it's still worth 2 points regardless of how.

Now I'm going to have to watch Edey turn into a star on another team because grinny-face Cronin was to afraid to break the status quo.

To his credit, Edey has got better each year in college. The question is in two years when Clingan is 22, will he be as good as Edey is now? I am guessing you don't think he will.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

To his credit, Edey has got better each year in college. The question is in two years when Clingan is 22, will he be as good as Edey is now? I am guessing you don't think he will.

Edey became a special college player by his junior/senior years. It would be unlikely for any player to be as good as Edey was in college.

The real question isn't whether Clingan could be as good as Edey was in college; the question is whether Clingan can/will impact winning in the pro's as much/more than Edey will.

 

[Natebishop3]

When the ball goes through the hoop it's still worth 2 points regardless of how.

Now I'm going to have to watch Edey turn into a star on another team because grinny-face Cronin was to afraid to break the status quo.

The game has been min/maxed. There's a reason why we have seen three point attempts massively increase in the last 10 years. Needing to establish a guy in the post and run the shot clock down while he backs down for 2 points is not efficient.

Like I said, I guess we shall see. Teams are going to hunt him in the pick and roll.

 

[beast blazer]

To his credit, Edey has got better each year in college. The question is in two years when Clingan is 22, will he be as good as Edey is now? I am guessing you don't think he will.

I think Clingan will be a good defensive player, good rebounder, he can finish inside, maybe he'll develop a little jumper. He seems to have some passing ability as well.

I just think Edey will be those things plus be monster in the paint. He's going to command double teams. Teams will have to front him...

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Edey became a special college player by his junior/senior years. It would be unlikely for any player to be as good as Edey was in college.

The real question isn't whether Clingan could be as good as Edey was in college; the question is whether Clingan can/will impact winning in the pro's as much/more than Edey will.

I think it's almost certain that Clingan will have a much greater positive TEAM impact, while Edey will put up gaudier stats (IF he gets minutes in the regular season). Once again let me remind people that Boban had one of the top PERs in the league and never got minutes. See also J. Okafor and Luka Garza. Now, Edey shows signs of being a better defender than any of those, and that's what he'll have to be to get minutes. Unless you're Jokic, nobody cares about how good your offense is as a center, it's all about the D.

So: feel good for the kid but don't feel bad that we didn't draft him. Clingan's team effect is greater and he's younger.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

And only 1 turnover and 0 fouls. By a rookie big man!!!

 

[PCmor7]

The game has been min/maxed. There's a reason why we have seen three point attempts massively increase in the last 10 years. Needing to establish a guy in the post and run the shot clock down while he backs down for 2 points is not efficient.

Like I said, I guess we shall see. Teams are going to hunt him in the pick and roll.

I'd say it's actually just the opposite. Having a player that shoots 55-60% from 2 is equal to having guys shoot 34-35% from 3. Having a post player that's a threat to do that creates more per open shots for players on the perimeter which should improve their efficiency.

Every time there's a change in a sport people act like the innovation has changed that game forever. In truth, it rarely does. In the NFL, the West Coast offense was going to change the game and then the Bears 46 defense was going to change the game and now every football team is back to running variations of the single-wing like they did in the 1930s.

It always comes down to finding your style and being better at imposing it and executing better than the opponent. Edey might be a defensive liability on one end -- MIGHT, because there are a lot of centers in the NBA that are exactly like him but not as good as it, basically at least one on every team. However, if he's an even bigger asset on the offensive end, it doesn't matter on the defensive end.

People overthink this stuff. Great play is great play.

 

[PCmor7]

There are myriad ways to win. If that weren't true, every team would be doing the exact same thing. They aren't.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I think Clingan will be a good defensive player, good rebounder, he can finish inside, maybe he'll develop a little jumper. He seems to have some passing ability as well.

I just think Edey will be those things plus be monster in the paint. He's going to command double teams. Teams will have to front him...

I think with his size, he just needs to have one go-to shot in the paint. He just needs to keep working on that hook shot and he will eventually command a double team.