The Cleveland Cavaliers have the 20th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Although this is outside the lottery, it’s still high enough to land a player who could help immediately.
And there’s one player in particular who could both be on the board, and help the Cavaliers. Zach Edey, of the Purdue Boilermakers, is one of the most prominent college players in recent years.
Despite his success in the NCAA, he’s often being projected to be drafted outside the lottery. Here’s a look at his NCAA play, and why the Cavaliers should draft Zach Edey.
Edey’s time in the NCAA
Edey’s game in the NCAA has been, in a word, commanding. He’s won a bevy of awards, and will graduate as one of the most decorated players to have passed through the league.
A monster of a man, Edey stands 7-foot-4 and weighs in at 300 pounds. This size has allowed him to flourish amongst others his age.
Averaging 18.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game with 1.7 blocks over his four years, he established himself as a premier face of college basketball.
As impressive as that stat line is, his first couple seasons drag it down. Last season, Edey averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and two assists with a 62.3 field goal percentage.
What’s even more impressive is looking at his performances expanded out to per 100 possessions. In this area, Edey averaged 46.2 points, 22.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
His play was dominant enough to lead the Boilermakers to the national championship game. Even though his team didn’t win, Edey was clearly one of the best players on the court.
Could Edey fall to Cleveland?
Unfortunately for Edey, many believe his game won’t translate to the NBA. For a player of this quality it’s not unprecedented, but certainly out of the ordinary.
His style of play is based around his ability to bully his opponents and command the paint. This would be significantly more difficult at the NBA level, however, as the opponents will all be much bigger than the competition he’s been facing.
That’s not to say he won’t tower over his peers, as few players his size have played in the NBA. However, his new competitions’ size and conditioning is honed to be most adept for the sport on the planet.
Both his numbers and his size, however, suggest that he could still sustain some level of success in the NBA. Even if it’s not the same quality as it has been in the NCAA.
What these pessimistic criticisms do mean, though, is that there’s a good chance Edey could fall past the lottery. This being the case, the Cavaliers could (and should) draft Edey and gain a high upside big man.
For more NBA and other sports and esports news, you can find The Game Haus on Twitter and Facebook.
Featured photo courtesy of NBA.com
“From Our Haus to Your’s”
- SEO Powered Content & PR Distribution. Get Amplified Today.
- PlatoData.Network Vertical Generative Ai. Empower Yourself. Access Here.
- PlatoAiStream. Web3 Intelligence. Knowledge Amplified. Access Here.
- PlatoESG. Carbon, CleanTech, Energy, Environment, Solar, Waste Management. Access Here.
- PlatoHealth. Biotech and Clinical Trials Intelligence. Access Here.
- Source: https://thegamehaus.com/sports/the-cavaliers-should-draft-zach-edey/2024/06/15/
