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Zach Edey underwent offseason ankle surgery and hasn’t played for the Memphis Grizzlies this season.
Amid the tensions within the Memphis Grizzlies, the team had some good news for fans regarding Zach Edey‘s return from injury. Edey hasn’t played a game this season after undergoing offseason ankle surgery.
Speaking to Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com, coach Tuomas Iisalo shared a promising update on Edey’s progress.
“Last year, he was one of the biggest drivers of rebounding on both ends, not just for us, but in the whole league. He’s making great progress, and he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be with the timeline. He looks really good in workouts . . . and he’ll be a very, very important addition when he comes back,” Iisalo said.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported that Edey would miss the start of the season due to ankle surgery. He sprained his ankle during a summer workout, so his representatives and the Grizzlies decided to put him under the knife to restabilize his ankle and correct its excessive ligamentous laxity.
Edey’s Timetable for Return
The Memphis Grizzlies announced before media day in late September that Zach Edey will miss at least six to nine weeks as he continues to recover from his ankle surgery, as reported by the Associated Press.
Friday, November 7, marks the sixth week since the Grizzlies announced the Edey update. Coach Tuomas Iisalo saying that the big man is on track with his timeline means he could return within the next week or two. He has ramped up his physical activities, recently spending time with the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League.
Santi Aldama liked what he saw from Edey during his recent workouts, telling Michael Wallace how important it is to have a really good medical staff.
“We have the personnel we have. It’s not easy. It’s mentally one of the most challenging things. Seeing how he’s approached this, how calm and eager he is to get back, how he responds on the sidelines, knowing he can’t actively be with us (yet). But he can be with us in a different way. It speaks highly of his personality, how much he wants to be out there with us,” Aldama said.
Edey was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting. He averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.3 blocks per game, while shooting 58.0% from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc.
Grizzlies Tension Overshadows Edey’s Return
While Zach Edey’s impending return is great news for the Memphis Grizzlies, Ja Morant‘s growing tension with the coaching staff and the franchise is a more pressing issue.
Morant has expressed his unhappiness with the way he’s being used by coach Tuomas Iisalo, which led to his one-game suspension earlier this week, as reported by Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings are monitoring the situation between Morant and the Grizzlies. The two-time All-Star is averaging 20.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.0 steals this season. However, he’s shooting career lows of 38.3% from the field and 14.0% from threes.
The Grizzlies are currently on a four-game losing streak heading into Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. They are sitting 13th in the West standings with a record of 3-6.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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