Analyzing if Warriors should draft Anthony Edwards with No. 2 pick
Between now and the NBA draft on Oct. 16, Bay Area News Group is breaking down players the Warriors can select with the No. 2 overall pick. Today, Georgia guard Anthony Edwards.
Before Anthony Edwards began his lone season at Georgia, head coach Tom Crean sat down with the freshman and told the 18-year-old that he would be entrusting him with the offense, but that he had to become more consistent and efficient.
A year later, Edwards leaves Georgia as one of the nation’s highest scoring freshmen and among the most productive in program history — but he was dogged by inconsistency. Despite those struggles, Edwards, now 19, is considered a potential No. 1 overall pick because of his 6-foot-5, 225 pound frame, unique skill set and ability to put up eye-popping numbers.
Scouts and draft analysts can point to Edwards’ production (19.1 points per game) as evidence that he can develop into a go-to scorer at the NBA level, but his efficiency numbers (40.2% overall and 29.4% on 7.7 3-pointers per game)raise questions about whether or not he can be impactful in a lesser role as a rookie.
However Edwards’ final game, an 81-63 win over Ole Miss, offered Crean reason for encouragement. Edwards scored just six points on 2 of 13 shooting but played all 40 minutes and finished a plus-18.
“If you just judge him by his shooting numbers or his stats, you’re going to miss a lot,” Crean, who counts Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo among the players he’s coached, told NBA.com. “He can really guard. He creates a ton of [defensive] attention for the opponent, which creates opportunities for other people. And he got so much better defensively. We were asking him to guard the other team’s best player and to do it frequently.”
Edwards shouldered a lot of responsibility for Georgia, but he rarely showed as much interest in playing defense as he did in scoring.
Though he is an explosive player who could light up the scoreboard, he would give up nearly as many points on the other end. He was lazy on defense, slow to close out on shooters and averse to fighting through screens. For someone with his frame and quickness, he provided little interference to opposing ball-handlers who too often got by him for easy baskets.
The question NBA teams will have to answer is if being asked to carry Georgia’s offense — which had only one other player who averaged at least 10 shot attempts per game — curbed Edwards’ effort on defense; and if a less demanding role will coax more from him on that end.
In order to improve his efficiency, Edwards will have to take more catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, get to the rim more and settle for fewer pull-up jumpers. With the ball in his hands, there is no doubt he can score, but he will need to learn to better get his teammates involved. His next coach will also need to hold him accountable as a rebounder and defender.
But Edwards’ upside is undeniable. This is someone who turned his full attention to basketball as a high school sophomore. Before that, he developed a chiseled frame playing football as a running back, cornerback and quarterback growing up in Atlanta. As a senior, he emerged into a five-star recruit and the top shooting guard of the 2019 class.
Few players in this draft offer his combination of size, athleticism and shot-making; and at such a young age. If the Warriors select him at No. 2, he would provide both the ability to contribute in a strictly-defined role right away and the potential to develop into an All-Star.
Scouting report
Strengths:
- Possesses impressive size and length for his position. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, he is an explosive leaper who finishes lobs with awesome dunks.
- Can create off-the-dribble with a variety of moves to get to a pull-up jumper of finish at the rim. Working on a James Harden-esque step-back jumper. Very competitive and not afraid to take a shot
- Played in a fast-paced system and runs the open floor well. He is at his most efficient getting down hill in transition.
- In the half court, he has good feel for cutting to the basket and often uses his frame to establish position in the high post. Not a bad passer, and you can see him initiating from the post in half-court sets.
- Rare blend of size, strength and agility gives him the potential to be a versatile defender.
Weaknesses:
- Questionable decision-making at times. Still needs to learn to read the floor and not always look for his own shot.
- Struggled to shoot off the catch (28.9% on catch-and-shoot jumpers).
- Inconsistent effort on defense. He is too often slow to close out on shooters and doesn’t fight hard through screens. Doesn’t hustle for rebounds.
- Gets beat off the dribble too often for someone with his combination of size, length and athleticism. Needs to work on basic fundamentals, including staying in his stance.
NBA player comparisons: Victor Oladipo, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell and Dion Waiters.
The fit: The Warriors are looking to draft a player who can not only contribute meaningful minutes now, but can also blossom into a multi-time All-Star in a few years. No player so clearly provides that potential more than Edwards.
It’s easy to picture him cutting in space alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson or finishing lobs thrown by Draymond Green. Off the bench, he could thrive leading a second-unit offense, which would help Warriors coaches bring him along slowly. Within Golden State’s environment, Edwards would be held accountable on the defensive end and could develop into a multi-positional defender.
If the Timberwolves pass on Edwards with the No. 1 pick, the Warriors should not hesitate to take him at No. 2.