The Grizzlies’ Zach Edey has the “green light” to shoot 3s despite only having one in college, coach Taylor Jenkins says

Is Zach Edey a big deal? That may seem like a ridiculous question, since the Memphis Grizzlies rookie has only attempted two 3-pointers in his four-year college career – one of which he blocked – but the 7-foot-4 center will be given the “green light.” ” have. According to coach Taylor Jenkins, they will be hitting their stride this season.

Jenkins made the proclamation Sunday after the Grizzlies’ open practice, where Edey participated in a shooting competition along with sharpshooter Luke Kennard. Here are some fan-filmed shots:

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Edey and Kennard lost the competition (first against 60 brands) to Desmond Bane and Jake LaRavia, but it was close. And considering how Edey has been filming behind closed doors, it wasn’t surprising for Jenkins to find a rhythm.

“Not at all,” Jenkins told reporters via Action News 5. “I mean, he’s put in a lot of work. Before practice, after practice, he comes in for night shoots. Obviously he does it in front of a crowd. “It was great to see our fans come up short, but he’s a competitive guy. I love that he focused on working on his mechanics and staying consistent.

When asked how often Edey attempts 3s in games, Jenkins said there is “no target number for him.” However, long-time Grizzlies fans know that since arriving in Memphis, Jenkins has encouraged players to “let that mother fly.”

“I think I just want the game and the decision-making to be his,” Jenkins told reporters. “I think he’s doing a great job – you haven’t seen it yet – but he’s finding the right opportunities to run at the rim, play behind the defense down in the arena and then when opportunities arise, get out there.” I want him to feel like he has the green light, whether he’s leaving behind a play or just moving. So I definitely don’t want to limit him. I want to see what he’s capable of right now and once we get into the flow of the game, I’ll have a better feel for what he’s capable of. He was still building his game at the rim a little further out.

Free throw percentage isn’t a perfect indicator of potential 3-point performance, but it’s generally a solid indicator. At Purdue, Edey shot 71.1% from the free throw line as a senior and 73.4% as a junior. A year and a half ago, he told The Athletic that he “definitely” thought he could develop a 3-point shot, but “there just wasn’t a need” for him to become a floor defender. Unlike, for example, the 2.15 meter tall center Brook Lopez from the Milwaukee Bucks, Edey should be in the team as often as possible.

“Yeah, Lopez has to space the floor because they have Giannis [Antetokounmpo]Edey said. “On this team, I am Giannis and the people surround me.”

After making his only collegiate three-point shot from the glass, Edey joked that he was “the best shooter in the country.” Months later, at the draft combine in Chicago, he joked that Boilermakers coach Matt Painter “used me wrong for four years” but was serious about showing NBA teams he had a jumper.

“I always said I could shoot,” Edey told reporters at the combine. “You can see it at the free throw line, for example. Obviously I didn’t get those reps in the game and it’s going to be a process, but I always believed I could shoot. And I always believed that if I was asked, I could take on a role like that.

However, Edey also made it clear that he knows what his best qualities are. “I’m a 6-foot-2, 250-pound guy,” he said. “I’m built to be in the paint, create space, protect my area, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.” He told reporters that while he believes he “can do it,” he would not be called up immediately “to shoot 3s.”

In the short term, Edey’s best option to create space for Ja Morant is probably to set up strong screens and be a lob threat, and the most important thing he brings to the Grizzlies’ offense might be extra possessions. He will also be a weapon in the post, which will keep teams from switching up their pick-and-rolls. However, it is extremely unlikely that he will fall in love with his sweater so much that he will no longer want to bully people in the color. For this reason, there is no downside for him to work on it. If Edey ever becomes dangerous enough to keep opposing centers off the field, he will be a much different game-changer than he was in college.

If Edey takes advantage of his first-year green light, perhaps he will do what former Memphis big man Jonas Valanciunas, a popular pre-draft contender, did for the past seven years. Valanciunas has never attempted more than 2.5 3-pointers per 36 minutes or more than 2.1 per game, but when he’s open for a trail 3 at the top of the key, he’ll shoot with confidence. Occasionally, when Valanciunas feels like it, he becomes more aggressive from deep – he shot 7-for-8 from deep in the 2021-22 season and 7-for-10 from deep the following season.

Memphis will play its first preseason game on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks, and you can expect Edey Morant to open up plenty of opportunities. However, if he eventually jumps to the 3-point line instead of rolling to the rim, it will be a surprise. But maybe he can find a wide-open look in the mid-transition. Maybe he ends up in the corner for some reason. Preseason lineups can get crazy, and Edey may not always be the worst shooter on the court.

With that in mind, a simple thought experiment: If Edey shares the frontcourt with Brandon Clarke, who has shot 68% from the free throw line and 24.3% from 3-point range since his rookie season, which of the greats would you want? Distance to the ground?