Anthony Edwards is slated by scouts and journalists around the league as the top overall prospect in the 2020 NBA draft, but is he worth all the hype?
When evaluating his pure talent and capability, there’s not much Anthony Edwards doesn’t bring to the table from a draft standpoint.
Anthony’s 6’5″, 220-pound frame is tailor-made for today’s NBA that embraces power guards and transition play. Scoring on the break will be his calling card both in college as well as when he eventually arrives in the pros, but his potential lies in more than just eye-popping athleticism.
Even though his development in the shooting department has been a relatively new wrinkle to his game, Edwards has gained confidence over the last year both in high school and AAU settings shooting off the catch as well as off the dribble.
Diving downhill and creating an attempt at the basket is the most natural way for him to manufacture points, but Edwards’ foot speed and quick-twitch are undeniable the deeper one dives into his film.
Fully capable of hitting an open jumper both set and on the move, Edwards’ setup package as far as getting into the shot is pretty basic at the moment. He relies solely on the speed of his actions and catching his man off guard, which is what holds him back from being a top-shelf creator heading into his projected star role at Georgia under Tom Crean.
He doesn’t look to mix up his moves often enough, and his step back and hesitation moves are predictable at the moment. That should change as he becomes more adept at changing speeds and becoming less of a start/stop player.
Getting more comfortable with his handle looking to separate more frequently from the defense will be crucial to his emergence as a true top pick candidate in the 2020 draft.
With all of the physical tools and competitiveness to hound opponents on the defensive side of the ball, along with his natural scoring ability, the last major component to address in Edwards’ game is his playmaking.
Generating offense on an individual level is one thing, but being able to get others involved is a whole different story, especially at the next level.
Watching examples of his passing, one can tell that his touch isn’t the main issue when it comes to delivering the ball to others both in transition and off a dump in the halfcourt.
Vision is what’s lacking in Edwards’ arsenal at the current moment. He’s still perfectly content to crash into the lane and try to create something out of nothing for himself rather than keep his head up on the move to find someone for a much better shot.
Some may argue that dribble-drive creation isn’t something that should hold Edwards back from being considered arguably the best prospect in his class. That’s not the case in the modern game anymore, as versatile players capable of dribbling, shooting AND passing are necessary to thrive against rangy defenses with switchable wings and bigs.
To live up to the early billing by multiple scouts and journalists, including Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, Edwards will need to add these pieces to his game and continue to expand upon his repertoire.
Aggressive guards who rely on pure power and talent without skill refinement don’t always pan out to their potential in the NBA. Edwards must make the necessary adjustments and refinements to his offensive game to make sure he’s not the next disappointment at the top of the draft.
Another guard who has all of the gifts and ability to live up to the hype, he’ll have his hands full looking to lead a Georgia team on a run deep into March in the coming collegiate campaign.