"Edey haters in shambles" - NBA fans react to Zach Edey draining 3s during draft combine

Despite coming off a dominant senior college basketball season, center Zach Edey's NBA viability remains in doubt. Many are skeptical whether he can keep up with the league's athleticism and versatility. However, Edey showcased unexpected shooting range during this year's NBA draft combine, increasing fans' optimism about his upside.

During his senior season with the Purdue Boilermakers, Edey led the nation in scoring, averaging 25.2 points per game over 39 games. He also averaged 12.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.2 blocks per game on 62.3% shooting, regularly controlling the paint on both ends of the court.

The 22-year-old's strong play resulted in him winning all six major National Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive year. In doing so, he became the first player in 51 years to accomplish the feat.

Nonetheless, Edey isn't considered a surefire first-round draft pick due to questions about his ceiling. He attempted only two 3-pointers over two four seasons at Purdue, making one. Meanwhile, his lumbering size (7-foot-4, 300 pounds) limits his defensive versatility.

However, on Monday, ESPN and Bleacher Report draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jonathan Wasserman each shared clips of Edey draining 3s at the draft combine.

Per Givony, Edey said he "has the 3-ball in his game right now" and is "looking forward to showing that."

Upon seeing Zach Edey showcase his shooting stroke, fans on X/Twitter remarked about his chances of boosting his draft stock.

"Value way up if he can hit jumpers," @Jfcok said.

"If he can shoot 38% from 3, I see a Brook Lopez-type player, TBH. Not bad,"@TJWagner800 said.

"It's one thing to do it in practice and another to do it in a game, but with that high release, no one is getting to that shot. He will never be a giant Steph Curry, but if he hits them enough, it will keep him in the league," @JerichoXVI said.

Many also likened the Canadian's shooting form to Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic's.

"Got that Jokic release," @UncleDemi said.

"Why [does] his form look exactly like Jokic's, LOL," @__Kingnik said.

Meanwhile, several Edey fans called out the big man's skeptics.

"Edey haters in shambles," @BoilerBurner1 said.

"People [are] gonna switch up real quick once they realize they were wrong about him. Just know [that] we won’t forget," @EdeyMuse said.

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NBA insider says Zach Edey should be first-round pick regardless of draft combine performance

Zach Edey's shooting display at the draft combine could sway some NBA front offices' opinions of him. However, according to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Edey should be considered a top-tier draft prospect regardless of his combine statistics.

On Monday, Mannix tweeted that Edey's college production alone should warrant at least a late first-round draft selection.

"I don’t care how slow Zach Edey is, how short his vertical is or how he looks in a cone drill. If he’s on the board between 20 to 30, I’m snapping him up," Mannix said. "Game film matters. This stuff doesn’t."

Jonathan Wasserman has Zach Edey projected to go No. 23 to the Milwaukee Bucks in his latest Bleacher Report mock draft. Meanwhile, Jonathan Givony's most recent ESPN mock draft has Edey going No. 15 to the Miami Heat.

It remains to be seen if a team will gamble a lottery pick on Edey. Nonetheless, the big man's draft stock arrow appears to be pointing up with the June 26 and 27 NBA draft fast approaching.