close
close

Guiltandivy

Source for News

    • The Memphis Grizzlies want to give Zach Edey more scoring opportunities
    Update Information

    The Memphis Grizzlies want to give Zach Edey more scoring opportunities

    Kathleen William Posted on

    Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey stretched his arms wide and used his 290-pound frame to support a Charlotte Hornets center under the basket. Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart, dribbling with the ball, couldn't help but reach the 7-foot-4 target, so he positioned himself to throw a pass to Edey.

    But there was a problem.

    Edey shifted his position and moved away from the field as if he wasn't expecting a pass. Smart immediately pointed to Edey and motioned for him to reposition his defender.

    This time Edey wasn't as successful in positioning. Smart still attempted the pass, and the result was one of the Grizzlies' 22 turnovers in a 119-94 preseason loss to the Hornets on Thursday night at FedEx Forum.

    This sequence between Smart and Edey perfectly encapsulated how the Grizzlies teammates are trying to learn how and when to achieve their new goal of basketball.

    “It’s huge,” Smart said. “We all know you can’t teach 7-4. He's really good, but he's learning. … Him being able to get those touches is going to be huge for us.”

    Edey finished the game with 10 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes. He made only two of his eight shot attempts, but three of the misses were three-pointers. In other words, Edey attempted five shots around the goal and made six free throws.

    Getting the ball to Zach Edey

    Desmond Bane and Ja Morant also noticed. The Grizzlies' two star guards were sitting on the bench together when they saw Edey pin a defender under the basket and not get the ball.

    Morant missed Thursday's game with a mild ankle sprain. He will be the player primarily tasked with finding Edey, as well as Bane and other guards in advantageous situations.

    “We have to get better at this,” Bane said. “He does a lot for us – rebounding, screening and running the floor. If he can do that, we have to reward him with light touches on the edge.”

    Finding Zach Edey's spot on offense

    The low-post offense is not the focus at the moment. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins kept mentioning the word “pace” after Thursday's game, and it was the buzzword throughout the locker room and preseason camp.

    Memphis values ​​playing fast. The idea is to get on the floor so quickly that the defense doesn't have enough time to establish itself.

    When playing this style, the low post offense can take a back seat unless the game slows down. Even outside of games, the focus in offensive practice was largely on speed and offensive movement. Memphis is still building offensive sets, and some of them could end up being destined for Edey's post touches.

    “We’ll definitely get there,” Kennard said. “That's definitely something I think we'll accomplish if we don't have an advantage in transition or after baskets.”

    MAKE AN EFFECT: What Japanese point guard Yuki Kawamura did to impress Memphis Grizzlies teammates

    Zach Edey's challenge

    Edey's teammates can help him settle in, but he will be the main person tasked with figuring things out. Grizzlies players talk to Edey about positioning on almost every possession.

    One of Edey's biggest challenges was expected to be running the floor, but early in Thursday's match he charged up the floor for an easy dunk. The next step now is to find the balance between when to seal and demand the ball.

    “I know my teammates are trying to look for me,” Edey said. “I know they want to get me the ball. It’s just a matter of finding the right places.”

    Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

    Tagged:

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Kathleen William
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like

    ads