Anthony Edwards NBA Draft Profile
Anthony Edwards has the look and flashiness of a number 1 pick. The question is, is he worth it?
Edwards stands at 6’5 with a 6’9 wingspan, with an NBA ready weight of 225. He fits right in athletically and will have no problem keeping up with wings from a strength standpoint. Edwards is going to be an elite scorer in this league for many years to come. His ability to get downhill to the rim is second to none in this draft class. His jumper is solid off the dribble. Allowing him to rise up over smaller defenders. With this said, he is nowhere near a de facto number 1 pick. Let’s take a look at his strengths and weaknesses.
STRENGTHS:
Scoring
Athleticism
Rebounding/Steals
Anthony Edwards has the complete athletic profile to be an NBA star. As stated above, he’s 6’5, 225 lbs and will be able to compete physically on day 1 in the NBA. He can score at all three levels with his best attribute being able to get to the rim at ease.
He has a good enough handle to get by defenders and use the euro step to get to the rim. These tools allow him to be a good playmaker right now, with the ability to get better as time goes on with NBA coaches helping him.
For any guy who profiles to be a lead playmaker and star on a championship team, being able to create and make plays for your teammates is a must. Edwards is not a defensive stopper, but he is capable of steals with his quick reflexes and strong body. He’ll swallow up rebounds with his large frame and athletic jumping ability.
WEAKNESSES:
OFFENSE AND DEFENSE FOCUS
TURNOVERS
SHOOTING CONSISTENCY
Edwards needs to focus while on the court, full stop. He has too many lapses in judgement on offense and missed rotations on defense for someone with his talent.
I imagine the offensive focus will come because he will most likely be tasked with creating offense on whichever team he’s drafted too. Edwards is careless with the basketball at this stage in his career, with a sharper handle he’ll be ready to get that number down.
Shooting the ball consistently will be the make or break skill for Edwards when he gets to the league. If his shooting is for real and can hit jumpers off the bounce, he will turn into, at worst, a hyper scoring 6th man. If the shooting never comes through, he’ll still be a competent role player for years to come at worst.
Edwards’ NBA Fit:
I have Edwards not making it out of the top 5 picks. He’s too polished of an athlete with a solid scoring ability to fall that far. With Minnesota and Golden State and Chicago among the teams with top picks, Edwards would have not have to be the number 1 guy on offense from Day 1 which would help him immensely.
He should be a very good player off the ball from the start of his career, and hopefully grow into a lead playmaker/scorer further down the line through his prime.
His success hinges on his willingness to focus on defense and hit threes at a respectable rate.
I think his best fit is on Charlotte at three who needs a franchise changing talent on their team and I think Anthony Edwards can be that if the dominos fall the right way.
