It is impossible to miss Zach Edey. At 7-foot-4 and 300 pounds, he is quite literally a mountain of a human being moving through a world designed for much smaller people. But as we hit the midpoint of the 2025-26 NBA season, the conversation around him has shifted from his massive frame to his massive impact.
Honestly, people were ready to write him off. When the Memphis Grizzlies took him 9th overall in 2024, the "experts" called it a reach. They said he was too slow for the modern game. They said he’d be a "drop coverage" liability who would get played off the floor by every twitchy guard in the Western Conference.
They were wrong. Mostly.
Now, as the 2026 NBA All-Star voting cycles through its final rounds, Edey has become the ultimate litmus test for how we value basketball players today. Is he a future perennial All-Star, or is he just a specialist who benefited from a perfect situation in Memphis?
The Case for Zach Edey All Star Status
The numbers don't lie, even if they look like they're from a different era. Before a recent ankle injury sidelined him, Edey was putting up stats that made him look like a glitch in the Matrix. We're talking about a guy averaging 13.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in his sophomore season.
That isn't just "good for a young guy." It’s dominant.
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Take the November 30th game against the Sacramento Kings. Edey went for 32 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 blocks. He shot 16-of-20 from the field. He didn't just play well; he physically overwhelmed a professional basketball team. It was the kind of performance that makes you realize why the Grizzlies picked up his 2026-27 rookie scale option without blinking.
Why fans are voting for him
- The Double-Double Machine: He's basically a walking double-double.
- Rim Protection: Averaging nearly 2 blocks per game, he’s changed how teams attack the Grizzlies' paint.
- Efficiency: You can't argue with a 63.3% field goal percentage.
But there’s a catch. There's always a catch.
The Ankle Injury and the "Management Plan"
Just as the Zach Edey All Star buzz was reaching a fever pitch, the news broke. On January 14, 2026, the Grizzlies announced that Edey would be re-evaluated in several weeks due to a stress reaction in his left ankle.
This is the nightmare scenario for a guy his size.
When you’re 7-foot-4, feet and ankles aren't just body parts; they're structural vulnerabilities. The team is calling it a "management plan" to optimize his long-term health. Basically, they're being incredibly cautious because they know he is the bridge to their future.
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The timing is brutal. Being out for the next six weeks effectively ends any chance of him actually playing in the 2026 All-Star Game in San Francisco, regardless of where he finished in the fan or coach voting. It’s a bummer for a guy who was finally silencing every single critic he had in college.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Game
The biggest misconception about Edey is that he's just "tall." If being 7-foot-4 was all it took to be an All-Star, the league would be full of giants.
Edey’s real gift is his hands. He catches everything. Bad passes, contested rebounds, wild lobs—if it’s in his vicinity, it’s his. In his rookie year, he led all rookies in rebounding and became the first Grizzlies rookie to lead the team in boards since Marc Gasol. That isn't just height; that's positioning and touch.
Also, have you seen his free-throw shooting? He’s hitting 78% from the line this season. For a center that big, that's almost unfair. You can't even "Hack-a-Edey" him because he'll just punish you at the stripe.
The defensive reality
Is he slow? Yeah, kinda. If he gets switched onto a guy like Ja Morant (thankfully they're teammates) or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the perimeter, he’s in trouble.
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But the Grizzlies don't ask him to do that. They play a heavy "drop" scheme, letting Edey sit near the rim and act as a human roadblock. It works because it forces teams to take mid-range jumpers or try to finish over a man who has a 7-foot-11 wingspan. Most players choose the jumper.
Comparing Edey to the Other Sophomore Stars
The 2024 draft class was supposedly "weak," but the big men are making everyone eat their words. If you look at the stats of the top sophomore centers as of early 2026, the race is tight:
- Alex Sarr: 17.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.3 BPG. (More of a modern, mobile threat)
- Zach Edey: 13.6 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.9 BPG. (The traditional powerhouse)
- Donovan Clingan: 11.2 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 1.4 BPG. (The defensive anchor)
Edey is the only one in that group who feels like a genuine offensive focal point when he’s on the floor. When he posts up, the entire defense has to collapse. It creates so much space for the Grizzlies' shooters.
The Path to 2027 and Beyond
The Zach Edey All Star conversation doesn't end just because of an ankle injury in 2026. If anything, his absence has proven how much Memphis needs him. Since he went down, their rebounding numbers have plummeted and their interior defense looks porous.
He has already achieved what many thought was impossible: he proved he belongs in the NBA. He isn't a "bust." He isn't a "relic." He is a legitimate top-tier center who happens to be a giant.
The next step for him is all about health and mobility. If he can come back from this stress reaction and keep his weight in a range that doesn't blow out his joints, he won't just be an All-Star candidate—he'll be a lock.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
- Watch the Grizzlies' On/Off splits: If you want to see Edey's true value, look at how Memphis performs when he's on the bench versus when he's starting. The defensive rating difference is staggering.
- Monitor the "Management Plan": Expect the Grizzlies to be extremely conservative with his minutes for the rest of the 2026 season. They aren't playing for January; they're playing for the next decade.
- Track the FT%: If Edey maintains his high free-throw percentage, his scoring ceiling goes through the roof. Teams will eventually have to stop fouling him, which means even easier baskets in the paint.
Zach Edey might not be suited up for the All-Star festivities this February, but he’s already changed the narrative. The "Big Man" isn't dead—it just got a lot taller.