Zach Edey

The good news is that it isn’t the same ankle that has forced him to miss their last few Summer League games. The bad news is that he has played in two games this summer and has two ankle injuries. He had six points, three rebounds and one block in nine minutes before his exit. He was able to walk to the locker room unassisted, which is a good sign that this isn’t a major injury.

Both players are sitting out with minor injuries, and the Grizzlies are just being cautious with them. This is the team’s third straight day with a game, and there is no reason for push them to play in Summer League. Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer stepped up on Tuesday night and should play extended minutes once again.

Edey, the ninth overall pick in last month’s draft, played well in his summer league debut on Monday. In addition to the elite rebounding, he shot the ball well from the field and rejected four shots. And Edey had one of the game’s biggest plays, as his tip-in of a missed free throw just before time expired forced overtime. The lingering question will be whether or not he’ll move well enough laterally once the games count. Still, the Grizzlies (and fantasy managers) should be encouraged by what they saw from the two-time college player of the year in his unofficial debut.

Edey finished his Purdue career as one of the most accomplished players in college basketball history, as he was a two-time consensus All-American and two-time winner of the Wooden Award. In leading the Boilermakers to their second national title game appearance, he averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game, shooting 62.3% from the field and 71.1% from the foul line. While the 7-foot-3 Edey has solid touch for a big man, he wasn’t forced to show it off too often in games throughout his Purdue career. Edey will need to improve his footwork, especially defensively, as teams will look to involve him in the two-man game consistently. Edey brings sorely-needed size to a Memphis team that lost Steven Adams and Xavier Tillman last season, and he should see meaningful rotational minutes in Year 1.