Victor Wembanyama, Zach Edey Duel Microcosm of ‘Unique’ Spurs-Grizzlies Rivalry

SAN ANTONIO — It took less than a second.

Victor Wembanyama, lined up at center court across from the only player in the NBA taller than him according to official measurements, dropped the tip and logged his first foul in the process before another ticked off the clock.

“It was crazy,” Devin Vassell said. “One mistake, not even (a) second into the game? Come on.”

The San Antonio Spurs the shooting guard continued, clearly still dismissive of the call, though he stomped lightly—careful not to say more than he should.

“I have never seen that,” he said. “It’s one thing if you get a bounce ball in the middle of the game and an undersized guard tries to steal it, but that’s every game. They do the same.”

READ MORE: Despite Wembanyama’s 8 blocks, the Spurs fall short to the Grizzlies

This time there was no less guard. Zach Edey was on the receiving end; The Memphis Grizzlies’ standout rookie center with a knack for floor spacing had had an impressive season, but playing Wembanyama was close, if not at the top of his bucket list.

“He’s probably the only other guy in the NBA that I can see eye to eye with,” Edey said prior to the game. “Definitely looking forward to this one.”

A few minutes into the competition, Edey made his first impression.

On back-to-back possessions, the Purdue product scored close to the rim: One over the top of Wembanyama and the other off the glass. A few attempts later, he joined the short list of players with a dunk over the Spurs superstar.

The Grizzlies had the lead; Eddy momentum. Wembanyama looked lost but Spurs remained confident. They also took some of the blame.

“We’ve got to make it easier for him,” said Vassell, who finished with 21 points. “It’s hard to play against a defense that’s set and loaded every time. We’ve got to figure out ways to help him do that.”

Wembanyama fell two blocks short of his fourth career triple-double after a stellar defensive performance in the first half. The only catch with such a stat line was that he scored just 13 points — his fourth-lowest this season — and the Spurs fell out of a close game at its conclusion.

READ MORE: What’s behind Spurs’ inconsistencies?

“It was disappointing,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “I thought he had a good first half … it’s hard when a team that starts hitting shots quickly.”

Beyond his early possessions, Edey wasn’t as much of a noisemaker as the trio of Grizzlies who finished north of 20 points (Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama), so he wasn’t the spearhead of Memphis’ late rally, but his alone size made for an exciting matchup.

Taylor Jenkins was no exception to its appeal.

“It’s so unique,” the Grizzlies coach said. “Both guys are different in their own rights. Wembanyama is having an incredible second season. He’s one of the best players in the game. It’s going to be like that for a very long time.”

As for his own 7-foot giant? The praise continued.

“A lot of people can make their assumptions about what these guys are capable of or not capable of,” he said. “In our case, with Zach, I’ve seen so much growth from the guy. Everyone thinks he’s just a one-way player on offense or defense, but I’ve seen so much versatility.

“That speaks to his work ethic, caring factor and (his) willingness to impact the win. It’s been phenomenal to work with a guy like that.”

With 1:11 left in the first half, Wembanyama got another chance.

Edey fell to the floor after a loose ball and, despite Luke Kennard’s best efforts to call a timeout, the Spurs center made him pounce on a loose ball under Chris Paul’s management.

This time Wembanyama won the jump. The ball went into Julian Champagnie’s hands and then to Paul, whose 3-pointer extended San Antonio’s lead to seven points. By the break it had grown to 12 and Wembanyama had secured his career high blocks in one half.

Despite the individual recognition, Spurs could not hold on. As Johnson noted, they played less than 48 minutes. They failed to guard one-on-one. The Grizzlies probably let them hear it, too.

“I’m excited to play them again,” Vassell said, noting that the trash talk between the Spurs and Grizzlies fell on the high end of the spectrum. “They’re a good team, but we’ll get the answer next time.”

Whether it was Morant’s dunk over Wembanyama after a second-half play or the ensuing 7-foot duel between him and Edey, the Spurs found themselves on the wrong side of a heated game. But the latter in particular was simply a microcosm.

READ MORE: Stephon Castle Notches career high 26 points

The Spurs and Grizzlies, as young as they are, present a budding rivalry.

It is seen in their “chosen words”, exaggerated celebrations and the inherent need to strengthen each other, especially after a loss. Edey came into the match with a goal to make life difficult for Wembanyama and Vassell left it ready for Round 2.

Although he couldn’t help but throw some shade.

“No one in the league can guard Vic,” he said of the matchup between Wembanyama and Edey. “It’s 100 percent. I’m excited to see how (he) comes back from this game.”

“He’ll be better on Friday,” added Spurs rookie Stephon Castle. “Just knowing Vic, I know this game is already over in his mind.”

With the first of two straight games in the books, San Antonio now aims for an imminent “get back” win over Memphis. Wembanyama will look to get a more complete game and Edey certainly wouldn’t mind winning another tip – usual for a player of his height.

However, the hope is this time for no mistakes.

“Let’s play them again,” Vassell said, “and then again and again and again. I’m excited. Believe me, I can’t wait to play them again.

“As soon as that jump ball goes up, I know it’s going to be a good one.”

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