The Questionable Start Of Zach Edey’s NBA Career Proves He Was A Foul Merchant At Purdue

Zach Edey already has a foul problem. The questionable start to his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies proves that he was indeed a merchant in college.

It would be wrong to take away from his impressive four years at Purdue, but it is impossible to ignore the elephant in the room.

Edey benefitted from the whistle more than any other player in college basketball. Officials did not know how to call him. Opposing defenses often swarmed him with a double or even triple team. He played extremely hard and calls typically went his way whenever his big body was flailing around in the paint.

The 7-foot-4 center went to the free throw line at a historic rate during the 2023-24 season and broke a 54-year-old record in the process.

On the flip side of that equation, because he is so large and physical, Edey often got away with things that he shouldn’t. The reigning back-to-back Player of the Year often drew fouls on his opponents. Plays where he could’ve (and maybe should’ve) been called for a foul usually went the other way.

That is not the case in the NBA, so far.

Zach Edey made his debut with the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. He became the only player since the NBA-ABA merger to start in his NBA debut and foul out after 15 minutes or less. He played 138 games in college and fouled out only one single time. It took him 15 minutes in the NBA— and NBA players can pick up six fouls before they foul out compared to just five in college.

Edey’s second game as a professional was much better. He was able to stay on the court and scored 13 points with nine rebounds!