Rookie Check In: 10%

Here is what I said December 7th 2022

Edey is no where near a draft board anywhere else it seems. We started him 20th in the summer mock because I felt like even then he would destroy college basketball and be the #1 player this season. I had him 2nd in the Preseason Player of The Year only because we thought Purdue didn’t have a good team around him, but that he’d put up such insane production you had to have him there. I believe even I underestimated his individual impact and defense.

He could end up being Boban in the NBA, it’s a totally plausible outcome. Honestly, I think Boban was a lot better than the chances he was given. Boban wrecked the NBA anytime he ever got to play or start. I don’t mind being wrong if I feel strongly about it, and so far everything I expected Edey has delivered. If he doesn’t get drafted highly, I still think he will make an impact in the NBA, and people will be wondering why they didn’t draft him. …………December 7th 2022

https://web.archive.org/web/20221215132509/https://theresourcenexus.com/zach-edey-nba-draft/

By June of 2022, I had already moved him into the top 20 and was baffled as to why no one else even had him in their draft projections even by the summer of 2023. When he was eventually drafted in 2024, most had him going only in the late 20s, some still in the 2nd round.

The NBA season is nearly 10% complete, with most teams having played around 8 games. This provides a reasonable sample size to start evaluating how the rookies are performing. There is a clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, and that is Zach Edey. Below are the top-scoring rookies, along with their averages, win shares, and Player Efficiency Rating.

While Zach Edey started off slow on opening night, he has quickly adjusted to the speed of the NBA. In his latest game, he posted an impressive stat line: 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks on 11-for-12 shooting. This is especially notable on a team likely to be in the playoff hunt, unlike many other rookies who are either on weaker teams or playing smaller roles. I expect his stats and efficiency to continue an upward trend, although his current .645 true shooting percentage is already elite and outstanding.

I’ll take a small victory lap here, as I was the first to suggest Edey as a first-round talent, 20th on our mock June of 2022 coming off a season he played 19 minutes a game. On December 7th 2022, when many had him either undrafted or as a late second-rounder. I also ranked him as my top pick in last year’s draft, and I genuinely believed he would be the best rookie this year, with both the highest floor and the greatest potential of any player in his class. This is exactly where I expected him to be after, and frankly, I don’t understand how so few saw this coming or questioned his foot speed and ability to adapt to the NBA. Even after he exceeded expectations in combine drills two years in a row, the national media remained skeptical, with most projecting him in the late 20s or even 2nd round. Sometimes you just need to look at the data. Now, as Edey dominates and continues to elevate his game, it’s clear that those initial doubts were misplaced.