Anthony Edwards - A Tale of Two Players

[Lipoli390]

Yesterday, I watched the entire Georgia/Michigan State game in which Edwards scored 37 points to go with 6 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks. At a high level, that game encapsulated all that we've read about Edwards - the good, the bad and the ugly. What I saw was a tale of two players wrapped in one. Here are my thoughts about Edwards from that game:

THE GOOD

Here are the things that really impressed me and that suggest he could be the best prospect in this draft:

1. Game Dominance. With about 16 minutes in the game and his team down by 25 points, Edwards suddenly came alive and completely took over the game, bringing his team back to within several points late in the second half. He scored nearly all of his 37 points during that stretch, nailing tough three-pointers and looking like an unstoppable offensive force. Perhaps more importantly, he actually took over the game on both sides of the ball, forcing turnovers and blocking shots. What Edwards showed during this stretch was the makings of a two-way NBA all-star and then some.

2. Ball Handling and Passing. You can't watch Edwards during this stretch without noticing that Edwards is a terrific ball handler and actually a very good passer. These two qualities are really encouraging and distinguish him from Wiggins.

3. Mental focus. One specific thing that stood out for me during that stretch was Edwards' mental focus, which was particularly apparent from the free throw line. He was cool as a cucumber at the line, hitting 8 of 8 free-throw attempts during that stretch. He also protected the ball and never panicked under the defensive pressure the Spartans threw at him. In other words, he showed terrific mental toughness and in that sense he was the antithesis of Wiggins.

4. Competitive fire. As he dominated during that stretch, Edwards showed a lot of competitive fire not just in the way he played but in his demeanor as well. He was vocal and expressive, firing up his teammates as well as himself.

THE BAD AND UGLY

Here are my take-always from the game that suggest he could be this draft's biggest bust or disappointment:

1. Disappearing Act. You might recall draft reports on Wiggins that he would disappear during stretches of games. Well, that's exactly what happened with Edwards during most of this game. Until about 4.5 minutes into the second, Edwards didn't even exist. I'm not exaggerating. In his annoying game commentary, Bill Walton said that the greatness of a player is measured by his impact on the game. For most of this game, Edwards not only failed to impact the game; he didn't even have a presence. It was absolutely infuriating to watch a player with so much talent, do absolutely nothing to help his team - not even on the offensive end, which is clearly his strength. To the contrary, he hurt his team with bad shots that ended in misses and four turnovers during that stretch.

2. Disinterested Defense. To say that Edwards played terribly on the defensive end for the first 24 minutes of the game would be an understatement. He looked completely disinterested on that end of the court. Not once did I see him get down in anything approaching a defensive stance. What I saw was a guy standing around ball-watching and waiting for his team's next offensive possession. Even during his hot streak when he was largely dominating on both ends, there was a very disturbing moment when Cassius Winston spotted up out high behind the 3-point arc, took his time and then hit a big three-pointer. Just as Winston was releasing the ball, you could see Edwards jogging towards him from the other end of the court as the last player on his team to get back. In fact, he wasn't late getting back defensively; he never actually got back. It was one of the most pathetic displays I've every seen from a player at any level.

3. Jump-Shot Dependent. This is one of the most troubling aspects of Edwards game that was on full display in this game. Even during his hot streak when he scored nearly of his 37 points, he relied primarily on perimeter shots. Although he took it to the hole enough to earn 8 trips to the line, he focused far more on launching one three-pointer after another with a couple two-point jump shots mixed in between. That tendency is reflected in his season stats. It's particularly frustrating to watch him settle for deep contested jumpers so often because, unlike Wiggins, he has the ball-handling skills and physical strength to attack the paint far more often than he did in college.

THE HOPE

Edwards' strengths are super impressive and you can see his NBA star potential in the last 16 minutes of this game. While all the red flags associated with Edwards were also apparent in this game, it's important to keep in mind that this game against Michigan State was early in the season and only several months after his 18th birthday. And unlike Wiggins, Edwards showed impressive ball-handling skills, passing ability and physical strength. Moreover, his head coach clearly thinks highly of him, praising him as a teammate and for his work ethic as well as his talent.

So what's my overall take away on Edwards? This game sImply reinforced the take on Edwards I had already formed watching game highlights, reading draft reviews and more recently watching video of his Pro Day workout with Tyrese Maxey. I still see him a high risk/high reward prospect. The possibility of drafting him doesn't scare me nearly as much as the prospect of drafting Ball. Unlike Ball, I can easily see Edwards becoming the best player in this draft and a true star. I'm still in the camp leaning towards drafting Wiseman, but to be fair, I haven't watched any of Wiseman's three games in their entirety. And Wiseman never faced an opponent as formidable as Michigan State. So for what it's worth, Edwards remains an intriguing prospect to me, but the yellow flags we've all read about would probably cause me to pass on him in favor of Wiseman.

[kekgeek]

I listened to the ringer NBA show yesterday where they talked about the draft and J. Kyle Mann who is one of the ringer draft guys compared Edwards to JR Smith talent wise. Now JR is super talented but crazy in the head. Like would JR been an all star if he didn't have a "me" first attitude.

I would select Edwards 1st and think if Wiggins wasn't just a wolf more people on this board would want him

[TheFuture]

I listened to the ringer NBA show yesterday where they talked about the draft and J. Kyle Mann who is one of the ringer draft guys compared Edwards to JR Smith talent wise. Now JR is super talented but crazy in the head. Like would JR been an all star if he didn't have a "me" first attitude.

I would select Edwards 1st and think if Wiggins wasn't just a wolf more people on this board would want him

First off, thanks for these late posts Lip.

Outside of the Wiggins comparison, I dont want Edwards because he isn't instinctive defensively (which I deem the biggest trait of defense), he reaches instead of sliding to thwart and gets blown by often. We also have a loaded investment at the SG position with Beasley, Okogie, Culver. At 6'4, I dont see Edwards playing anywhere else. Edwards had all the tools to get to the rim at will in college against inferior opponents (big body, elite athletic profile, good handles), yet he settled for jumpers. And he didn't shoot them well. His touch around the rim is also questionable.

It is undeniable the talent Edwards has. He can decide to go after it whenever, but only seems to do so when his teams back is against the wall. That is too late. A 36 minute driven Edwards would be outstanding, but that is not the case from what I have watched.

I know teams schemed against him with double and triple teams, and his teammates weren't good. But the best players in HS and college don't need that. They bully their way through. He just did not show he was able/willing to do that.

[Monster]

That game sounds like that OKC game Ryan Saunders first game as coach of the team. There were legit games Wiggins would look like he had everything going at some point of the game. Lip I seriously appreciate the post and it's cool you watched that whole game but even as someone that is sorta still a Wiggins guy... your post may make me want Edwards less than I did before it. Lol I think the thing that may separate Wiggins from Edwards is personality. It doesn't take much to have more extroversion than Wiggins but I'd guess Edwards has more of that. To me Wiggins issue was mostly mental. Honestly I would not be surprised if he had some sort of social anxiety issue. I'm starting to really lean more towards Wiseman but I'm still holding onto hope for a trade down situation that works out very well for the Wolves.

[Lipoli390]

That game sounds like that OKC game Ryan Saunders first game as coach of the team. There were legit games Wiggins would look like he had everything going at some point of the game. Lip I seriously appreciate the post and it's cool you watched that whole game but even as someone that is sorta still a Wiggins guy... your post may make me want Edwards less than I did before it. Lol I think the thing that may separate Wiggins from Edwards is personality. It doesn't take much to have more extroversion than Wiggins but I'd guess Edwards has more of that. To me Wiggins issue was mostly mental. Honestly I would not be surprised if he had some sort of social anxiety issue. I'm starting to really lean more towards Wiseman but I'm still holding onto hope for a trade down situation that works out very well for the Wolves.

My post should make you want Edwards even less. Watching the game had the same impact on me. To see someone so gifted make no effort defensively and almost disappear entirely for more than half of a nationally televised tournament game against a big-time opponent is really troubling. Even worse that when he finally got it going, he was still mostly settling for deep, hotly contested threes rather than using his tremendous physical gifts to drive the lane. In that sense, it was worse than Wiggins because Wiggins had a bad handle that impeded his ability to take it to the hole in the half court. Edwards doesn't have the same excuse. But I did see Edwards' talent and, as a guy who just turned 19, I can still see the appeal of drafting him at #1.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I want Wiseman. I see the talent, potential, and roster fit.

I don't want Edwards, but I could understand the choice to draft Edwards. Theoretically, he could become one of the league's most dynamic wing scorers if you worked out his kinks. He also has all the physical tools necessary to be an above average defender.

I don't see it with Ball. I don't want Ball. I don't understand the appeal of Ball. We could draft any of the other supposed top-10 prospects in this class instead of Ball and I'd support it. If the Wolves go with Ball, then I will seriously have to reconsider how much time and money I invest into this franchise. I think that will be the proverbial dagger to the heart of this franchise.

[Lipoli390]

I want Wiseman. I see the talent, potential, and roster fit.

I don't want Edwards, but I could understand the choice to draft Edwards. Theoretically, he could become one of the league's most dynamic wing scorers if you worked out his kinks. He also has all the physical tools necessary to be an above average defender.

I don't see it with Ball. I don't want Ball. I don't understand the appeal of Ball. We could draft any of the other supposed top-10 prospects in this class instead of Ball and I'd support it. If the Wolves go with Ball, then I will seriously have to reconsider how much time and money I invest into this franchise. I think that will be the proverbial dagger to the heart of this franchise.

That's exactly how I feel.

[KG4Ever]

I have watched tape on Wiseman, but haven't seen him shoot from distance. If anyone has tape of Wiseman shooting from distance in any game or workouts and making shots, please share as I'd like to get an idea of his shooting form. I would not draft Wiseman #1 without a solid belief that he can develop into a perimeter threat by year 2 or 3 in the NBA. There should be some quality bigs available at 17 and perhaps 33 as they tend to slide and so I'd prefer moving down to 3 to 6 and target Killian Hayes or Deni and grab a big like Jalen Smith at 17, or if Saddiq Bey is available at 17, take him then draft Paul Reed if available or else Oturu/Quickley at 33.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I have watched tape on Wiseman, but haven't seen him shoot from distance. If anyone has tape of Wiseman shooting from distance in any game or workouts and making shots, please share as I'd like to get an idea of his shooting form. I would not draft Wiseman #1 without a solid belief that he can develop into a perimeter threat by year 2 or 3 in the NBA. There should be some quality bigs available at 17 and perhaps 33 as they tend to slide and so I'd prefer moving down to 3 to 6 and target Killian Hayes or Deni and grab a big like Jalen Smith at 17, or if Saddiq Bey is available at 17, take him then draft Paul Reed if available or else Oturu/Quickley at 33.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/zvVylKWyq7A[/youtube]

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I have watched tape on Wiseman, but haven't seen him shoot from distance. If anyone has tape of Wiseman shooting from distance in any game or workouts and making shots, please share as I'd like to get an idea of his shooting form. I would not draft Wiseman #1 without a solid belief that he can develop into a perimeter threat by year 2 or 3 in the NBA. There should be some quality bigs available at 17 and perhaps 33 as they tend to slide and so I'd prefer moving down to 3 to 6 and target Killian Hayes or Deni and grab a big like Jalen Smith at 17, or if Saddiq Bey is available at 17, take him then draft Paul Reed if available or else Oturu/Quickley at 33.

Shot potential at 4:44

[youtube] https://youtu.be/AUxq8atysoo [/youtube]