A big grin flashed across the face of Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins as he entered the Don Poier Media Center, followed by the team's three recent draft picks and general manager Zach Kleiman.

Jenkins, a major advocate for the importance of defense and rebounding, watched the Grizzlies struggle in those two areas for most of last season while injuries and trades eliminated two of their best frontcourt options in those areas. The front office identified the issue and corrected it in a big way.

Literally.

After second-round picks Cam Spencer and Jaylen Wells entered the media center, 7-foot-4 Zach Edey ducked his head under the door and went to his seat.

Whether it's Edey's presence at center or the strong shooting potential with Spencer and Wells, this Grizzlies draft class will play a major factor in the team's future success.

Here are five takeaways from Friday's introductory news conference.

Zach Edey's summer plans remain unknown

One of the biggest questions for the Grizzlies will be what happens next with Edey. He was included on the Canadian Olympic team preliminary roster, and he played for Canada in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. There are schedule overlaps with Canada's exhibition slate and the Grizzlies' summer league schedule.

"We'll sort out all the contractual stuff in the days to come," Kleiman said.

Grizzlies 2024 draft picks were coveted targets

A good feeling coming out of the draft is knowing that the players you came away with were highly coveted, and that's the feeling in Memphis. Not just with the Grizzlies, but the players, too. Edey noted how Memphis was the only team that was willing to give him a contract after his sophomore year at Purdue, which was before he became a two-time national player of the year.

"I was actually disappointed this year, I never heard from them, then the draft comes up, all of a sudden I'm getting picked," Edey said. "It caught me off guard. I couldn't be happier."

As for Wells and Spencer, the Grizzlies would have been ecstatic with just getting one of them.

"To come out of Day 2 of the draft with both of them joining us, that's an outcome that we thought was zero chance of," Kleiman said.

Lots of player familiarity

The new teammates are no strangers. Edey and Spencer, represented by the same agency, were working out together before the draft. Even before that, Spencer, out of UConn, played against Purdue's Edey in the national championship game, and Spencer also ran into the Grizzlies center the season before when Spencer was at Rutgers. Both have a simple but effective memory of the scouting report against one another.

"Don't let him shoot," Edey said.

"Don't let him get the ball," Spencer said.

Spencer also started his college basketball career playing at Loyola (Maryland) with current Grizzlies power forward Santi Aldama.

"That was one of the first things that I thought about when I heard my name," Spencer said. " . . . We've kept in touch ever since that time, and I've been rooting for him from afar. To be his teammate now is really special."

EDEY TALKS MORANT: What Zach Edey said about Ja Morant, the Grizzlies star's movie choice and the Olympics

Zach Edey's fit with Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jenkins went out of his way to talk about the idea of putting two bigs on the floor and the opportunities that will give Memphis. Kleiman also spoke two days ago about the chance to pair Edey with Jackson. That seems to be something Memphis is excited about.

"Zach working with (Jackson), I think that's going to be an unbelievable tandem for us on both sides of the floor," Jenkins said.

Shooters ready to play alongside of Ja Morant

Morant likes to pass the ball, and it's helpful to have great shooters to feed. Wells and Spencer were two of the best in the draft, but now their skills will have to translate to the NBA. Spencer was one of the best movement shooters in the draft after playing in a UConn offense that had pro concepts. He said he's confident that the back-to-back champions prepared him for this moment. As for Wells, he's just ready to catch that pass from Morant.

"I think it's pretty important to be able to score without having the ball in your hands," Wells said. " . . . And obviously playing alongside people like Ja, he creates so much that he needs some floor spacers out there to open the floor for him."

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies' 2024 NBA draft Zach Edey, Cam Spence, Jaylen Wells