Grizzlies Forward Jaren Jackson Jr. Has Cryptic Message About Zach Edey's Skills

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Jaren Jackson Jr. doesn't want to reveal too much about Zach Edey's game, but he's clearly impressed with what the Memphis Grizzlies' first-round pick can do on the basketball court.
Wednesday, Jackson joined Chris Vernon Show on Grind City Media to talk about the Grizzlies' upcoming season. Jackson, who will be entering his seventh season with Memphis in 2024-25, is already speaking highly of Edey — selected No. 9 in the 2024 NBA Draft out of Purdue.
Jackson didn't want to say too much, but he dropped a few hints about Edey's game.
"I don't even want to spill his stuff. I want him to do his own rollout of his own thing. You only get one rollout as a rookie," Jackson said. "I can't just be like, 'Oh, he did this, this and this."
Later in the discussion, Jackson hinted at Edey being a much better shooter than people think. Below is the clip of the Memphis forward talking about the 7-foot-4 center.
JJJ doesn't wanna let out any Zach Edey secrets, but he's droppin some hints for grizz fans... 👀@chrisvernonshow pic.twitter.com/ug8swshPrm
— Grind City Media (@grindcitymedia) September 11, 2024
With the NBA season tipping off in October, it won't be long until we get to see Edey play at the next level. We did receive some glimpses of his abilities during NBA Summer League.
Edey was dominant in the team's first game in Salt Lake City, scoring 14 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking four shots. He also had a monster dunk and a buzzer-beating put-back to send the game to overtime against the Utah Jazz.
But nagging ankle injuries kept Edey sidelined for a majority of Memphis' time out West. The former Boilermaker didn't suffer anything serious, but the Grizzlies didn't want to risk further injury before the start of the NBA season.
In his senior season at Purdue, Edey averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per contest. He left as the program's all-time leading scorer and rebounder and was a two-time All-American selection. Edey led the Boilermakers to a Big Ten regular season title and the program's first trip to the National Championship Game since 1969.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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