Grizzlies Rookie Zach Edey Makes History in Win Against Pistons

The Memphis Grizzlies picked up a much-needed win on Saturday night against the Detroit Pistons.

Without star Ja Morant in the lineup, Memphis was led by a huge performance from Desmond Bane, who led all scorers with 38 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. also chipped in 27 points in the win to go along with a historic performance from rookie center Zach Edey.

Edey notched a whopping 21 rebounds in the win, breaking Bryant Reeves' franchise record for rebounds in a game by a rookie. Reeves secured 18 rebounds in 1996 to set the record.

Tonight Zach Edey broke Bryant Reeves’ 29-year-old single-game franchise record for rebounds by a rookie.

Reeves had 18 rebounds on March 15, 1996 vs. Orlando. https://t.co/WVK4Wr8f7l
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) April 6, 2025

Edey's 21 boards are also the most in a game by any rookie this season.

The former Purdue standout's performance came at the right time, as the Grizzlies needed a win to keep pace with the LA Clippers in the NBA Play-In race. The Warriors, Timberwolves, Clippers and Grizzlies all have 46 wins, and are fighting for the final two playoff spots.

A loss would have put Memphis a full game behind the aforementioned teams, but with the win, the Grizzlies are just one game behind the Nuggets, who are the No. 4 seed in the West. Edey's performance is the latest in what has been a strong rookie season for the former Boilermakers' star.

Edey is averaging 9.2 points, eight rebounds, an assist and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 57.5% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc as a rookie. After being selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Edey has played in 63 games and made 52 starts for Memphis this season.

Edey was one of the best college basketball players the sport has seen, winning the Wooden Award and being named AP Player of the Year twice during his four-year career at Purdue. Edey led the Boilermakers to the NCAA title game in 2024, but the team fell to Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan and Connecticut.

Coming out of Purdue, many doubted that Edey's skill set would translate to the NBA, worrying that the big man's 7-foot-4, near 300-pound frame would make him too slow to play defense against quicker players. Additionally, the center's lack of perimeter shooting experience gave some talent evaluators pause.

As a rookie, though, Edey has played well enough to earn 21 minutes per game on a team that will likely be in the playoffs a few weeks from now.

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