Two-time national player of the year Zach Edey was selected ninth overall to the Memphis Grizzlies, far higher than he was initially slotted.
After having been as long as +3000 to go in the top 10 earlier this month, those odds slowly began to shorten as we approached draft time. He became as short as +275 in the marketplace this week before ebbing back to +500 at close.
That means a $100 wager would have won $500 on the former Purdue big man to go in the top 10.
The Action Network's Matt Moore endorsed this pick heavily before the draft.
The big man had been one of the best players in college throughout his illustrious career, but there were concerns about how his talent would translate to the NBA.
He's not an outside shooter. He has the lateral movement of a 65-year-old man. His post moves are straight from 1985. And yet, here he is in the modern NBA as a top-10 pick.
That's a testament to his ability to defend the rim — and score down low. Whether a back-to-the-basket, traditional big man can contribute in the NBA as a key player on a championship contender remains to be seen. But there's no doubt there's talent here — and the proper intangibles to make a serviceable role player for years to come.
