Anthony Edwards NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Weaknesses
Edwards has clear holes in his game, and if his strengths weren’t so impressive and tantalizing, they would nearly be disqualifying.
For starters, Edwards shot only 40.2 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from beyond the arc. While his shot distribution seems okay at first glance — 48.5 percent of his shot attempts were 3-pointers and his free throw rate was a solid .339 — he shot far too many field goal attempts from the mid-range.
Edwards forced plenty of tough shots in part due to the lack of talent around him; the Georgia Bulldogs went just 16-16. But shot selection was still somewhat of a concern.
Defensively, there were far too many examples of Edwards simply not trying. While he has all the physical tools and the profile to succeed as a lockdown defender, Edwards would frequently just let his man waltz to the rim or give up halfway through a defensive rotation.
Edwards has consistency issues on both sides of the floor, unfortunately. There were five games in which he scored less than 10 points, and he scored exactly six points in four of them. In 13 of his 32 appearances, Edwards shot under 40 percent from the field.
In 18 games of SEC competition, Edwards averaged 20.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and shot 40.8 percent from the field and 29.1 percent on 3-point attempts — basically right in line with his non-conference performances.
Both Edwards’ offensive assertiveness and defensive attentiveness could wane at times based on how his night was going, which is definitely a concern at the next level.
What would the thought process and fit be for the Wolves if they chose to pick Edwards at No. 1?