Anthony Edwards Scouting: Discuss

[Cavatt]

Why is it different? Isn't this a discussion on BPA? And how needs, draft picks or rostered players should or should not effect that? Isn't Edwards a value as high as 3-4 in a draft like this? If that is where you are headed here?



Let's set aside the height thing as it is a guess at this point. We'll assume he's only 2 inches taller..... that pegs him at 6'3" with no shoes. At 225 LBS, that is a MASSIVE size gap. IMO, It is a different tier of athlete when factoring size, weight and Edwards being more vertically explosive than Sexton is.

I also think the way you describe his weaknesses are a bit of hyperbole. Shot selection, absolutely.......it needs to improve but that is coachable. His shooting efficiency is drug down by long mid range shooting as well. That is something the NBA will wring out of him. It was one of Collin's flaws too and it went away pretty quickly with some coaching.

Players like Edwards just flat out need to learn how to play off the ball. He's been the best player on the court his whole life.......those kinds of guys generally don't find themselves off the ball very often. He has a smooth shot with good lift and he's a good FT shooter.......I'm sure he will be fine. I'd imagine you can turn him in to a plus cutter off the ball too, given his size and athleticism.

Edwards is more project than most traditional guard projects but I think his flaws, to this point, are very coachable......or will simply get better with reps / age.



I'd wager a lot of money that KPJ won't be a better NBA player than Edwards.......but can revisit that in a few years. For now, we can agree to disagree there.

I like Haliburton a lot, I just don't understand why we would be in favor of drafting Haliburton but not Edwards. I think offensively, both provide so much more value with the ball in their hands. Do they do different things with those possessions? Sure.......but if we are giving them to Haliburton, I'm trying to understand why we would not additionally give them to Edwards? Edwards is a near 1.00 PPP player in isolation. Relative to his volume, that puts him right in the middle of what guys do at the NBA level who are impact scorers. Haliburton is more ready made off the ball, relative to how he has evolved as a player and shooter......but I think that is a waste of his talent, if the argument is he can be stuck off the ball and provide value. At that point, just bypass him too for a better rostered fit if you don't plan on carving out a role that will maximize his playmaking talent.

I don't think Haliburton should be stuck off the ball. I would want him running the offense, but deferring to Sexton when he got it going, which is exactly what he would do. IMO Haliburton could help Sexton fit into the defense, whereas I think Edwards would compete for touches and the offense would be further hijacked with him and Sexton taking turns and no one else getting the ball.

I really think you would need to trade Sexton to have Edwards fit in. If it was KPJ and Garland right now, picking Edwards might be the move, but you are basically hoping he makes the improvements Sexton already made just to get to even. Taking a project like Edwards who is going to need the ball in his hands, and tons of playing time isn't appealing to me. Scoring hasn't been a problem. I'd rather improve defense and playmaking and take Haliburton if I had to take a guard.

 

[Nathan S]

I like Haliburton a lot, I just don't understand why we would be in favor of drafting Haliburton but not Edwards. I think offensively, both provide so much more value with the ball in their hands. Do they do different things with those possessions? Sure.......but if we are giving them to Haliburton, I'm trying to understand why we would not additionally give them to Edwards? Edwards is a near 1.00 PPP player in isolation. Relative to his volume, that puts him right in the middle of what guys do at the NBA level who are impact scorers.

Um...but imagine having a backcourt that can actually run plays, not just trade off ISO possessions. That's why most teams have a PG and a SG instead of two SGs.

Haliburton is more ready made off the ball, relative to how he has evolved as a player and shooter......but I think that is a waste of his talent, if the argument is he can be stuck off the ball and provide value. At that point, just bypass him too for a better rostered fit if you don't plan on carving out a role that will maximize his playmaking talent.

I think everyone agrees that two players can share ballhandling responsibilities in a starting lineup. That's pretty typical if you look at teams across the NBA. The problem if we draft Edwards is that we have two primary ballhandlers, neither of whom is a competent point guard. And that doesn't sound like a good foundation for a winning team.

 

[Vipra]

Everyone has their own favorite and bust candidate. There are fans out there rooting for Wiseman, or Okungwu, or Toppin, or Avdija, .....
I am in the Avdija bandwagon, but I also like Wiseman. I am 'convinced' that Edwards will be a bust. And I know that I can be wrong about all these three.
I think Wade being cited as Edward's "NBA player comparison" has made him the #1 pick to some fans. In my opinion, he has a high floor to be a good role player, but a low ceiling. Just my $0.02

 

[Man Called X]

Everyone has their own favorite and bust candidate. There are fans out there rooting for Wiseman, or Okungwu, or Toppin, or Avdija, .....
I am in the Avdija bandwagon, but I also like Wiseman. I am 'convinced' that Edwards will be a bust. And I know that I can be wrong about all these three.
I think Wade being cited as Edward's "NBA player comparison" has made him the #1 pick to some fans. In my opinion, he has a high floor to be a good role player, but a low ceiling. Just my $0.02

I see Dion Waiters when I see Edwards.

 

[I'mWithDan]

I see Dion Waiters when I see Edwards.

I'm curious to see what Edwards measures at. He looks a bit more athletic than Dion was and mechanically, his shot looks better..........if you were to give Dion a little more size, a little more athleticism and remove some of the stuff between his ears, is that not potentially a really good NBA player?

Edwards isn't my favorite prospect in this class pre-draft, I just think he gets nitpicked for things that are generally correctable. He's likely not a fit here because we made the mistake of over-drafting our backcourt but in the right situation, I think he can be the best player in this class.

 

[Cavatt]

I'm curious to see what Edwards measures at. He looks a bit more athletic than Dion was and mechanically, his shot looks better..........if you were to give Dion a little more size, a little more athleticism and remove some of the stuff between his ears, is that not potentially a really good NBA player?

Edwards isn't my favorite prospect in this class pre-draft, I just think he gets nitpicked for things that are generally correctable. He's likely not a fit here because we made the mistake of over-drafting our backcourt but in the right situation, I think he can be the best player in this class.

Do you think the situation the Cavs have is the one where he can be the best player? That is the problem I have. I don't think it is.

 

[I'mWithDan]

Do you think the situation the Cavs have is the one where he can be the best player? That is the problem I have. I don't think it is.

Probably not without shuffling the chairs on the deck. The question then becomes is he that type of player? One good enough to course correct on the last 2 drafts? Honestly, I don't know...... The data I have would say no. The people who I think are really smart would say yes.

It's a tough decision and relative to our front offices' likely job security, I would imagine a decision they are not willing to make (course correcting). That is my biggest concern here in all honesty. Is that the team will make more short sighted decisions relative to team building, given the downward pressure that is probably on Koby at this point. Maybe I'm wrong on that front but it seems like a year where there needs to be tangible progress or it is likely he will be gone.

 

[Cavatt]

Probably not without shuffling the chairs on the deck. The question then becomes is he that type of player? One good enough to course correct on the last 2 drafts? Honestly, I don't know...... The data I have would say no. The people who I think are really smart would say yes.

It's a tough decision and relative to our front offices' likely job security, I would imagine a decision they are not willing to make (course correcting). That is my biggest concern here in all honesty. Is that the team will make more short sighted decisions relative to team building, given the downward pressure that is probably on Kolby at this point. Maybe I'm wrong on that front but it seems like a year where there needs to be tangible progress or it is likely he will be gone.

If he were a transcendent guard this is a totally different scenario. If Garland and Sexton were in this draft, I am not convinced Edwards gets taken over them.