MEMPHIS – At 7-foot-4 and 300 pounds, it’s impossible to go unnoticed.
Even as Zach Edey conditioned off to the side and worked out in the shadows of the Grizzlies’ practices in recent weeks, the second-year center still projected a commanding presence.
Looming even larger are the hopes of Edey’s impending return from surgery rehab and the expectations of what his addition to the rotation would immediately address for his team.
“Last year, he was one of the biggest drivers of rebounding on both ends – not just for us, but in the whole league,” Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said of Edey, who is coming off an NBA All-Rookie First Team season. “He’s making great progress, and he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be with the timeline. He looks really good in workouts . . . and he’ll be a very, very important addition when he comes back.”
That exact target date remains unclear. But Edey appears to be taking significant steps toward soon making his season debut, barring any late setbacks in a deliberate ramping up process.
With practice opportunities limited amid this week’s game-heavy schedule, Edey has spent the past few days in workouts with the Memphis Hustle in preparation for their G League season opener Saturday. The team has not revealed whether Edey will begin his comeback on a game assignment with the Hustle or if his first action will come in an NBA game.
The Grizzlies were not scheduled to practice Thursday in the midst of a four-game homestand that closes with Friday’s visit from the Mavericks and Sunday’s matchup against the defending NBA champion Thunder. Then comes a four-game road trip that starts with a back-to-back set of games on Tuesday against the Knicks and Wednesday against the Celtics.
Edey underwent left ankle surgery on June 7 and has spent the summer, training camp, the preseason and the start of the regular season enduring a tedious rehab regimen. The team issued a Sept. 26 medical update ahead of training camp projecting Edey was expected to “return to play” in six-to-nine weeks.
Friday, when the Grizzlies face the Mavericks, would mark the six-week point of that initial return window. At the team’s Sept. 29 media day, Edey said he focused the initial months of his rehab program working to build strength in the weight room. He has spent the past three weeks in conditioning drills and scrimmage sessions to get acclimated with teammates.
“The timing was unfortunate, but it was just something I needed to get done,” Edey said of addressing the recurring ankle issue that hindered him at various points of his rookie season. “I’ve worked all summer to make my way back as quickly as possible. It’s kind of Groundhog Day every day. I do my treatment, do my lift, take care of my body. It’s a tedious grind.”
Edey looks to build on a promising rookie campaign when his best stretch came over the final two months of last season, particularly after Iisalo took over as interim coach in March. During an eight-game span leading into the playoffs, Edey’s production spiked as he shot 64.8-percent from the field and averaged 10.6 points, 15.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 32 minutes a game.
Edey flourished in a pick-and-roll system Iisalo leaned on to maximize the center’s on-court production with dynamic point guard Ja Morant. Defensively, Edey’s presence provided rim protection and a significant impact in rebounding on both ends of the court.
His return can’t come soon enough for the Grizzlies (3-6).
Memphis is on a four-game losing streak and ranks in the bottom third of the NBA in points allowed (28th), opponent field goal percentage (26th), opponent points in the paint (24th), defensive rating (23rd) and opponent second-chance points (22nd).
“Just having a 7-4 dude out there changes the whole game plan for teams,” Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama said of Edey. “He’s great at setting screens, getting rebounds, he’s somebody that you have to worry about on the boards. So, for the rest of us, it’s even easier because our (defender) has to help out on Zach. Once we get him out there, it’ll be even better.”
Aldama has seen Edey make encouraging strides in recent days in preparation for a comeback. But Aldama shares the sentiment of several other teammates who don’t want to look too far ahead or expect Edey to immediately fix some of the problems the Grizzlies are facing.
“We have the personnel we have,” Aldama added. “It’s not easy. It’s mentally one of the most challenging things. Seeing how he’s approached this, how calm and eager he is to get back, how he responds on the sidelines, knowing he can’t actively be with us (yet). But he can be with us in a different way. It speaks highly of his personality, how much he wants to be out there with us.”
Edey is doing all he can to make that a reality soon, both mentally and physically.
The goal is not only to pick up where he left off late last season, but to develop beyond.
“That’s big for me,” Edey said recently. “I’ve been watching practice and paying attention to what they’re doing. That’s all you want to do is keep building. You never want to take steps backward. The end of (last) season was good for me, but I want to be even better than that.”
The ideal impact will take time to unfold as Edey works his way into a rhythm.
But just his presence alone will provide the massive boost the Grizzlies need.