Zach Edey Needs Big Night To Expend Grizzlies Season

The Memphis Grizzlies are facing on the Dallas Mavericks in a game that advance to become the No. 8 seed in the NBA Playoffs. The Thunder await the winner.

Apr 11, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Memphis Grizzlies have seen this season go off the rails. it has been a bumpy ride to this point. At one time, the Grizzlies hovered around the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, fulfilling a bounce back season many projected for the Beale Street Ballers.

A few short weeks later, the Grizzlies tumbled into the NBA Play-In Tournament, fired their coach and are on the brink of elimination.

Memphis will host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. The winner will head to Oklahoma City for Game 1 of the first round on Sunday afternoon to begin the NBA Playoffs. The loser starts its summer vacation and regroups for the offseason.

A lot is at stake in this matchup, especially with the optics for both teams after the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic on Feb. 1 and the aforementioned turmoil in Memphis.

For the Grizzlies to win this game and punch its ticket to the NBA Playoffs, it will take rookie big man Zach Edey having a big night.

Dallas posed more size than any team remaining in the Western Conference with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford roaming the paint. Not to mention the positional size of PJ Washington and Klay Thompson with length across the board.

Given Jaren Jackson Jr.'s limitations on the glass, it will be up to Edey to gobble up rebounds and keep the possession battle close.

With that, Edey has to avoid foul trouble against the Mavericks big men and if he can turn a few rebounds into easy points it will go along way in staving off Dallas.