“Most Dominant Player” Because of his 7’1 frame and unstoppable playing style, Shaquille O’Neal has held this title ever since his Lakers’ three-peat era. Over the years, many have tried to match that aura but failed to even come close to the level of dominance that Shaq had. However, one player might be knocking on the door soon because of his similar size and that is Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey. But Memphis might have to wait a little longer to see that vision come to life as Edey suffered a horrific injury during today’s Summer League encounter against the Pelicans.

Making an appearance on the court only for the second time this Summer League, Edey started today’s game red hot. Scoring six points in just nine minutes, the 7’4 Center was looking in great form. However, it all came crashing down in the second quarter as following a block attempt inside the paint, Edey landed awkwardly on the opponent’s foot, which led to him rolling his right ankle. Under immense pain, the rookie lay on the floor for a while, grabbing his ankle, and soon after walked off the court, putting an early end to his outing.

Although the severity of his injury is still unknown, the Grizzlies organization would be extremely worried to see their #9 pick dealing with his second injury in just two Summer League appearances. While he made an impressive debut for his new team on July 8 against the Utah Jazz scoring a dominant double-double with 14 points and fifteen rebounds, he was forced to miss five straight games after that outing because of left ankle soreness.

Just as things were starting to go his way with his return in today’s game, the big man suffered another heart-breaking setback. Sure enough, Edey was also frustrated with his tough luck, as he said, “F*** man, I just want to play.” After injuring his right ankle in today’s game.

Will staying healthy be Zach Edey’s biggest challenge in the NBA?

Averaging 25.2 points along with over twelve rebounds in his senior year at Purdue, Edey proved that he is talented enough to be a lottery pick in the draft. As expected, he was picked early by the Grizzlies because of his massive potential. But one underrated aspect that made his college run so phenomenal was his durability as he played 39 games this past year and started in all of them! However, Edey’s early ankle injuries in the Summer League have given rise to major concerns about him being able to adjust to the NBA’s playing style and staying fit and efficient like he was in college.

With most players of his size, the prime example being Hall of Famer Yao Ming, injuries play a major role in cutting their careers short and stopping them from reaching their maximum potential. Maybe, that’s what made Shaq such a dominant player because despite being a seven-footer, he was mostly healthy during his prime, which helped him play at the highest level for years. And if Edey wants to reach that level of success in the NBA, he will need to stay healthy as well.

More importantly, that will be a challenge for the rookie as he is still getting used to the pace and spacing difference in the NBA. But he seems to understand where he fits in the Grizzlies roster, “I think it just comes with kind of realizing who I am. I’m never going to be the wiry seven-foot guy who can — like Kevin Durant, that is never going to be me, guys like that. I’m a 7-foot-4, 300-pound guy. I’m built to be in the paint, to carve out space to protect my area. And that’s what I’m gonna keep doing.” Hopefully, Edey will get a chance to prove his mettle in the league without injuries taking a toll on his body.