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<\/p>\n\u201cI feel more athletic than I did last year already,\u201d Edey said. \u201cSo now I\u2019m ready to go after the season and make the most of this opportunity that we\u2019ve got in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Edey started 55 of the 66 games he played as a rookie and averaged 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. Edey got more comfortable and started becoming a double-double threat as that season went on. He finished as an All-Rookie team pick<\/a> and was fifth in voting<\/a> for Rookie of the Year. <\/p>\n The ankle has been an issue since his rookie season when he missed 12 games with a sprained left ankle. <\/p>\n Edey had surgery in June 2025<\/a> to repair and restabilize the ankle after spraining it again during offseason training. In that injury-shortened season, he averaged 13.6 points on 63% shooting while grabbing 11.1 rebounds. He also impacted games on the defensive end, adding a couple blocks a game. <\/p>\n A stress reaction in that ankle put Edey on the injured list in December, and he wound up having another surgery in March that sidelined him for the rest of the season. That last surgery<\/a> tried to address ongoing discomfort and bone stress in that ankle. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really locked into my body. I\u2019ve never spent this much time just on everything,\u201d Edey said Monday. <\/p>\n Now the Grizzlies hope they finally see what having Edey available for a season means for a franchise that went 25-57 last season. Memphis traded F-C Jaren Jackson Jr.<\/a> to Utah in February, then sent guard Ja Morant to Portland<\/a> in June to finish a housecleaning that shifted the focus to youth. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s exactly where we hoped he would be at this point in time,\u201d Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said Monday of Edey\u2019s rehab. The centre has been cleared for full-court activity and Memphis expects Edey will be ready when it opens the season Oct. 21 against Utah. <\/p>\n Edey certainly will fill what had been a big hole in the Grizzlies lineup without him. His size is the foundation of Memphis\u2019 youth movement with his presence in the paint an intimidating factor. He will be paired with rookie power forward Cam Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick out of Duke.<\/p>\n The duo will be a heavy focus for the Grizzlies\u2019 offence, and they worked out together before training camp started to begin building timing and chemistry. <\/p>\n \u201cBeing 7-4, he can really change the game offensively and defensively,\u201d Boozer said. \u201cHe\u2019s just a paint-patroller. I think it is going to be a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n