OKC Thunder draft prospect profile: Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards strengths and weaknesses
Strengths:
At 225 pounds Edwards’ body is ready for the pros where he already has an offensive skill set that will easily translate. With his size and physical gifts he should be able to develop into a defensive talent as well but like most 19-year olds that hasn’t been his focus.
Edwards is a capable scorer with a panache for getting to the basket easily based on his size and quickness. With those assets, he’ll be best served playing on a club who plays with pace and pushes the offense in transition.
His offensive toolbox contains a variety of moves including spins, change of pace on drives, a quick first step, ambidexterity finishing at the rim, and shots created off the dribble.
Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 11/8/2020.
light. Related Story. 2020 Draft Big board 2.0
Weaknesses:
For all his obvious gifts his decision-making is a concern. Even in situations where it seems obvious he could simply drive by his defender or pass the ball to a teammate he often forces the situation which leads to a lost possession or turnover.
As for the shot he’s progressed to shoot 77.2 percent from the charity stripe but that wasn’t always the case as he shot 58.3 percent in 2018. Typically, if a player can shoot free throws there is reason to believe they’ll be able to extend that range by putting in reps and work.
This is the perfect example of how the pandemic makes assessing the prospects more difficult. With only 32 games of film evidence to review and without the typical NBA Combine or in-person workouts, it’s a matter of deciding if Edwards will organically improve as he matures.
Repeatedly young players refer to “the moment” — when the game slowed down for them. Although, there is an equal number of players who simply don’t possess those natural instincts even when the game slows down. Assessing whether coaching will expedite that decision-making process or if his shot will improve could well determine his ceiling. For now, the jury is out.