Or a combination.


The game has evolved from the days where "running the court well" was a fresh selling point. Nowadays a player can flat out dominate the paint and the response is, "so he doesn't shoot threes, and he probably can't guard a 4".


The main thing I like about Edey is he passes the 'hook shot' test. When I watched Hasheem Thabeet workout with Yao Ming the big takeaway was that Ming's hookshot was more consistent in form and results. Based on that test Edey is fine. He displays both form and results in games against solid opponents. His offense is transferable albeit with turnovers. His defense would have been fine 15 years ago. This is where he goes from being a top ten 1st round pick ten years ago to a top ten 2nd round pick today. Edey isn't just big, he's gargantuan. He has a 9'7 standing reach. That's an inch and a half shorter than Gobert's and a half inch below Yao Ming. He's going to be a rim protector in a league that specializes in neutralizing rim protection. Movement matters more than presence and his movement is mediocre. What he does well defensively doesn't defend today's NBA like it did15 years ago.

Or am I over thinking it? Portland was 26th in OPiP and 25th in rebound rate. Maybe that gargantuan presence matter more than mediocre movement?