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Grizzlies' Zach Edey jumps ahead for Rookie of the Year after debut

Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal

Zach Edey turned in a dazzling performance in his debut with the Memphis Grizzlies, and the ninth pick found himself ahead in the Rookie of the Year race, as a result.

Edey produced 14 points, 15 rebounds, four blocked shots and one assist in a 97-95 loss in overtime to the Utah Jazz in the Salt Lake City Summer League. He finished by shooting 7-of-12 from the field in 33 minutes of action.

The 7-footer had one of the highlights of the night after converting a game-tying tip in off an intentionally missed free throw as time expired to force overtime. The shot came after Edey missed a potential go-ahead dunk in the closing seconds.

Though the effort by Edey came in summer league, the former Purdue legend did the bulk of his work against Jazz center Walker Kessler and several of their roster players. He looked the part of a lottery pick and had some dominant stretches in the game.

Edey had plenty of people buzzing about his debut, including All-Star teammate Ja Morant, who gave his stamp of approval on X. With two more games in Utah, and at least five in Las Vegas, Edey should be must-watch television.

The sportsbooks have also noticed, too.

Following the game, FanDuel moved Edey ahead in the Rookie of the Year race, and he is now the very early favorite (plus-600) to win the award after one performance over the likes of Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher and Dalton Knecht.

The race to become the next Rookie of the Year will undoubtedly fluctuate throughout the season. However, it will be worth watching to see if Edey can keep himself in the discussion for the annual award to start the season with the Grizzlies.

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