Zach Edey's Summer League debut changed minds all over NBA Twitter

The NBA Summer League has started and, for Zach Edey, it's the first step toward proving he belongs. Edey was an incredibly decorated college player but was seen by many as someone who would not be able to thrive as much as he did in college. The thought was that so much of his production sprung from his size enormous advantage which would be much smaller in the NBA.

In his debut against the Utah Jazz and match-up with fellow 7-footer, Walker Kessler, Edey absolutely looked like an NBA player. He thrived, scored around the block and blocked shots just like in college. He was even setting brick wall screens that freed up the guards to operate in space.

Edey proved why he was the No. 9 overall pick in this year's draft and NBA Twitter was loving it.

Not to mention, Edey forced overtime with a clutch tip-in following a missed free throw. The former Purdue Boilermaker boxed his way out of two defenders and made it look like practice.

Imagine Ja Morant coming down hill with a massive screen set by Edey (just like in the clip above) — that would just not be fair, there's so much space. Morant is a true slasher at heart and that spacing can lead to not just one but mutiple highlights.

Yes, this is the Summer League and not an actual NBA game but the vision is there and it doesn't hurt to at least give it some thought. It's all speculation after all.

The Memphis Grizzlies official account had to get in on the action, too. Especially after Edey's ferocious poster on Kessler.

Zach Edey hopes to prove the doubters even more

One Yahoo Sports draft analyst believed that Edey was "one of the worst picks" in the history of the NBA draft. But after his debut, that's looking like an overreaction.

"Yahoo Sports draft analyst Krysten Peek called Memphis choosing Edey with the ninth overall pick 'one of the worst picks' she has seen in the history of the draft," Commercial Appeal's Damichael Cole prefaced before saying, "Every NBA team that selected a player in the first round received at least a B grade from Peek, except the Grizzlies. She gave Memphis a D for its selection."

Peek even mentions that she has "no idea how's he going to fit in the backcourt with Ja Morant."

"This is shocking, considering the way the NBA is turning in terms of value and upside as a hybrid center," Peek said. ". . . I absolutely have no idea how he's going to fit in the backcourt with Ja Morant. He only connected on 8% of his shots off pick and rolls, and defensively, he's a liability in the pick and roll with his limited footwork. Teams are going to hunt him in the pick and roll."

Everyone's opinion on Edey is subjective but he's surely heard the noise, the doubters and even haters. The best outcome is that he shows why everyone was wrong to begin with.