Net Rating: +1.4

Athleticism / Frame Overview: Strong, elite athlete off two feet and very good off one. Quick reaction time with hands and changing body position – quick hip turns and quick hands. Quick first step / burst, with good acceleration getting downhill – strength allows him to stay on his path without getting bumped by defenders…does a nice job actually dislodging them on his way and at the rim. Has really quick feet, even when his stance is a bit too far wide – makes me think that there might be another lateral quickness level (or at least more consistency) if he brings his feet closer in a little.

Mentality Overview: Aggressive on ball as a scorer and competitive on defense when he’s involved – PnR, ISO, etc. (though PnR needs consistency). Floats on defense when he’s playing off ball (not much of a team defender doing the little things) and is a bit too stationary when he’s not on ball on offense, or moving to get the ball . Very self-aware of his mistakes and seems like a very coachable player based on reports and the Mike Schmitz video, but shot selection on offense is still concerning.

Offensive Role: Scoring / engine G – not someone I would want initiating the offense without other plus playmakers (and capable scorers) around him. His size should give his lineup versatility. Probably more of a secondary-tertiary option on a good team instead of a #1 option on playoff team. Needs playmakers around him, unless his passing ability improves a lot.

Defensive Role: Edwards the size and quickness to be a menace POA / man to man defender at the 1 or 2, but needs work on his IQ in order to be an all-around impact player. Needs to improve team defense (tagging, stunting, 2-9, playing pin, etc), because he’s way too stationary now and needs to be more ready off ball to help – zones out off ball.

Offense:

Synergy Profile: scoring : 65 scoring + assists : 55 (totals if percentile not available)

Jump Shots Post Up Cut Around Basket Dribble J C&S PnR Score PnR Pass Iso Transition 29 38 55 53 28 83 61 48 77 85

Shot Chart in HC (not including post ups / putbacks):

Finishing: Good, not great finisher. Strong driver and does a nice job using his physicality on drives, but can learn to use his body better at the rim to dislodge players and finish through contact – even though 16 and 1s is a good number through 21 games, it could be higher if he learned to use his strength better on the attempt and not try to avoid contact. High level cutter – does a nice job setting up the cuts faking high, and going backdoor / simply taking advantage of defenders when they turn their heads. Soft touch with either hand, though his right hand is better at the moment. Can finish off one feet or two, though way more powerful off two. Hard to bump off his spot on drives due to strength. Nice job using his length instead of short-arming the finish. Has some weird misses in the paint, so there is still room for touch to improve. Nice body control getting around the defenders in the paint / on the way to the paint. Finishing numbers should improve if / when he learns to use his body better around the rim, because the body control is nice, strength is very nice, and has a soft touch with either hand. 5 dunks in the halfcourt vs 6 shots blocked in the paint (due to forced attempts). Does not have a high free throw rate due to overreliance on jumper. Edwards draws fouls (4 a game), but this could be higher if he didn’t settle for as many jumpers as he currently does.

Shooting: Not a great shooter, but there is reason to buy stock in his shooting. He has good form, has a very smooth looking jumper mechanically (natural lean and maybe a slight elbow flare), and he’s a solid FT shooter for age. In addition, he’s 17/38 on pure C&S jumpers. The numbers don’t look good at first glance because of the low percentages, but it’s not indicative of his shooting ability as much as it shows how much the UGA offense relies on him for perimeter creation and his shot selection. Though there can be some minor tweaks with his form, I don’t think change is entirely necessary – his release is the same on C&S and off the bounce Js, he gets good bounce on his shot, has a quick set in the lower body and transfers energy quickly from the load to the release, and can square up well in air. Streaky outside shot as of now, but he can get hot pretty quickly and then his shot becomes a flamethrower, hitting shots from deep off the bounce and well contested – the shots he can hit when hot are not great shot selections, but just shows that when he’s hot, he’s hot and very hard to stop. Also, his shot is damn near impossible to block for wings given the high release point (see below). He has a really seamless transition from handle with either hand to shot on all off the bounce jumpers – full speed downhill pullups, stepbacks, side-steps, and just “basic” crosses into Js. His ability to have consistent form regardless of setting and while at the same time showing the ability to hit pretty much every shot in the book is rare. Shot selection needs to be cleaned up and he still needs to get more reps in, but I am confident in his ability score at all 3 levels…efficiency is another question, and that could be more dependent on his shot selection over anything else.

Shot Versatility: Some versatility, though he’s mainly an off the bounce shooter and small movement C&S – he’s not running hard off screens. In the sample size I’ve seen from AAU to college, Edwards does not look particularly comfortable shooting off hard movement – his first instinct is to put the ball on the floor. Not someone I would call a pure shooter – more of a shot maker. He has a full off the bounce shot-making ability, going downhill, stepbacks, hesitations into jumpers, etc – nothing consistent yet, but it’s been a part of his toolbox going back to AAU (80th percentile off bounce, 46.7% adjusted FG%). My favorite part is his shotmaking ability to seamlessly shoot off a left or right handed dribble because the comfort he shows off either hand is rare – this includes going downhill / stopping on a dime, which could make him a pretty devastating PnR player if he is able to develop his jumper a bit more. I can see him becoming a 3 level scorer, though maybe not the most efficient (unless he starts attacking the rim a bit more). Teams won’t be able to go under him out of fear of him hitting a 3, and if they go over, he could pull up going either direction or take it to the rim (while he does finish better with his right hand now, he still can finish well with his left for his age and there is reason to think it will continue to develop). Good catch and shoot player, though not someone who is a real movement heavy shooter – more basic movement, as in relocations, pindowns, etc. 83rd percentile on “pure” C&S (67.1% adjusted FG%) on 38 attempts. Wasn’t asked to play off ball much, and the actions he had off screens were more to get him going downhill…and his first instinct off the screens was to put the ball on the floor, so I’m not sure he has too much comfort here in strict C&S off screens. He has deep range off the bounce and on C&S. When playing off screens, Edwards’ first reaction is to put the ball down – if he gets rid of this habit, there is potential for some pindown / off screen actions due to his speed, good (and high) release, ability to set his man up on cuts (maybe some potential to do the same off screens?), and ability to square up on the release in air. Good PnR and ISO scoring potential – though inconsistent, he shows the ability to get where he wants and hit from all 3 levels. 12-18 on ISO shots at the rim is good, though would like to see more attacks.

ISO Scoring Chart: PnR Scoring Chart

Shot IQ: Not a huge fan of his shot IQ. Someone his size should not be taking nearly 2/3 of his shots in the halfcourt be jumpers – he’s too strong and athletic to settle. When you watch the film, there are plenty of examples where Edwards has a mismatch and can create a driving lane, or just misses the driving lane, and settles for off the dribble jumpers – he really loves stepback 3s, which while he can make (and could develop as he gets older), they are not consistent for him yet. I’d really like to see him drive a bit more, because he’s a good finisher and has the strength to get to the rim (and FT line) a lot more than he does. In terms of shot selection for the jumpers, this is solid – only 25% of his jumpers are from midrange and 75% from 3. This might be a little too high from 3, but he’s getting used to NBA shot selection, where unless you’re an elite midrange shooter, 3s should take priority over 2s – note, I do think he will become a solid midrange shooter. Of his 154 jumpers, only 38 C&S attempts – this is important to note because it points to his role as pretty much the only perimeter creator on the UGA team, and adds some fire to the idea that his off dribble heavy Synergy page isn’t entirely his doing. Forces some finishes in the paint by missing out on open teammates / passing lanes. With added spacing (an playing with more overall talent), the numbers could go up.

Handle: Nice handle, though it’s not elite. Shifty / smooth with the ball, but also nice burst from a standstill with good acceleration going downhill. Can pull off a variety of moves pretty seamlessly. Right hand dominant, though – you can tell when he’s handling with his left in tight spaces / going downhill, the ball gets a bit outside his body control. Has a really nice hesitation that he uses to set up drives, shots, etc. – does a nice job using this in the PnR / when the help is coming because he can get the big defender to commit. Also love his ability to get downhill quickly from a standstill and lull defenders to sleep and then attack – really lulls defenders / gets them to relax (or rest on heels) well. Can also freeze off ball defenders a bit, opening up simple spot up passes. Really nice job going from handle to shot pocket, and can do it off either hand. Nice job setting up PnR screen usage, usually with a hesitation / in-and-out though he’s also used simple jab steps or cross, and subtle body fakes (dropping shoulder, move leg a bit to screener, etc ). Following up on that, he tends to pick up dribble too easily in PnR (especially when faced with pressure).

Passing: Not a great passer and misses passing lanes / open passes à a bit too focused on his own creation, though this could at least partially be due to the lack of perimeter talent on UGA. Vision is not very good and he’s more of a see and then pass guy, versus making reads before they happen – few advanced reads, mostly simple drive and kicks and drive and drop-offs…but forced some shots at the rim / drives due to missing open passes. Has not flashed the same live-action passes in UGA as he did during AAU in HS…though he did have a beautiful left handed live action bounce pass in traffic v Kentucky – it might have a flash in the pan as it was not repeated, but it was a beautiful pass. If you go back to his AAU film, he had a few live action passes with left hand during AAU and a few with his right hand – might just have to be unlocked. Basic passer in PnR – usually hitting the spotup, or driving downhill a bit into a D&K. Comfortable taking both defenders in the PnR, but he’s usually just going to the side or being pushed back / high. While this opens up spot up shots (usually PnPs) or 4 on 3s, I’d like to see him turn the corner a bit more. When he’s handling (patiently) at the top of the key and sees an open man, he generally does a nice job kicking it quickly – like, if the big is just standing in the paint watching Edwards or some off ball action , he’ll kick it to the big’s man (corner) quickly. Again, going back to his AAU film, Edwards was a nice kick-up passer in transition (quickly after rebounds).

Assist Chart:

Defense:

Synergy Profile (I know there is a lot of noise here, but this is just added information): 90

Spot Up PnR Score Around Basket Dribble J C&S Iso Jumper 91 48 57 75 98 47 96

Defensive Shot Chart (A lot of noise, but interesting. Paint = as primary and secondary defender.)

Awareness / Team Defense: Makes highlight plays, but not a consistent team defender / having high awareness. Not a defensive playmaker off ball, more so on ball with his quick reactions / hands. Can take advantage of poor passes and shows some flashes shooting the gap with his quick first step, but defensive playmaking is not consistent. He’ll make some nice rotations from time to time, but he’s not someone who consistently defends rotates around the perimeter keeping the shell or rotate down when he has to. There are some flashes, but his off ball defense needs work. Not someone who does the little things off ball like keeping hands out, stunting, digging, 2-9ing / playing the block, playing pin in PnR. Need to be more consistent and play with a higher sense of urgency / effort on the defensive end. Ball watches a bit too much.

Rim Protection: Not a high-level rim protector outside of some highlight blocks (MSU game comes to mind). He’s not someone who rotates particularly well to protect the rim – he can be late to cutters and drives. Needs to do a better job being ready to move and help from the weak side, because with his pop + strength, he should be able to contest shots well at the rim. Needs to learn to 2-9 and play the block. When defending the rim on his man driving to the rim, he does a nice job contesting those shots with his quick leap and his length.

PnR Defense: Has the lateral quickness, strength, and ability to get over screens, but he needs to improve consistency. Potential switching in pinches due to size/strength. Does a nice job getting skinny and over the top and actually sliding to beat the ballhandler to the spot instead of having to turn and recover / play from behind when he wants to – not consistent here. His footwork in the PnR shows promise, with his first step going over with his lead instead of moving his back foot first – fewer steps at POA = easier to get over, as it’s one less step you need to recover from. Active hands from behind reaching in creating turnovers (similar to what Morant did last year), though I’d like to see him make a more consistent effort getting back in the play instead – risky poking the ball out, as it could lead to fouls and it puts the defense in a precarious situation if he misses. When going under, does not do a good job getting back to the shooter – ends up giving up open jumpers. Has the length and burst to contest, but just does a poor job here. Tries to swipe at the POA, which can work (and has worked a decent amount) due to his quick hands, but it also leaves him open to being burned by drives as it leaves him flatfooted and slower to react – he does the same thing in ISO defense from time to time. Doesn’t always stay in his stance though and stays upright, which leads to him turning his body at POA.

Shot Contests / Closeouts: Has the length and reaction time to contest shots, but does not do a good job getting out to shooters when they’re not right in front of him – many shots he gives up are pretty open / lightly contested. The annoying part is that he has shown nice flashes of covering ground and contesting shooters pretty quickly…as with other areas off ball, it’s not consistent and his effort comes and goes. However, when he’s defending players in isolation, he does a nice job contesting – it could just be an effort issue off ball. I would also like to see him clean up his readiness on closeouts and not allowing driving lanes as often as he does. He has quick reactions / COD which can help him get around this issue to a certain extent in college, but it likely won’t work as well in the NBA. Needs to work on closing out under more control, give more effort getting out to the perimeter, and stay away from biting on fakes.

Off Ball Defense: Prone to losing his man off ball due to ball watching – does not do a good job tracking his man off ball / keeping his head on a swivel. Does not do a good job getting through screens – poor angles/technique/footwork and just looks lazy and disinterested. Does not do a good job getting out to shooters to contest after the screen, either. The flashes here weren’t very promising either, and there were not many to even hand his hat on…

Man (ISO) Defense: Has ability to shut down multiple positions due to very quick feet, anticipation, good hips, strength, and length…but needs to stop reaching, as this takes him out of position defensively and NBA player s can exploit this and draw fouls. Quick hands and quick reactions. He doesn’t always stay in his stance (gets up too high, sits on heels a bit too much, etc), but can still stick with most players due to his very quick feet – this makes me believe there is more man to man defensive potential waiting to be unlocked if he is able to stay in his stance more often. Does a great job getting into players physically without being too physical, using hands, and making the ballhandler uncomfortable. Excellent anticipation and quickness laterally. If he is beaten off the bounce, he does a good job turning his body and trying to get back in the play. Is prone to crowding the ballhandler when it’s not necessary. Though he can stick with some players despite being very close at the POA, staying back to a “normal” amount gives him the ability to cut the ballhandler off either before he reaches his spot or at his spot- basically, there is no benefit to crowding ballhandlers when he is very effective playing defense from a normal distance. Prone to not always finishing out plays when beaten off the bounce.

Footwork: In space, it’s good for a freshman – main thing I would try to hone in on is getting him to stay in his stance (off heels, too) bring in his feet a bit. He moves really well despite the things he can tweak, which gives me reason to believe there is another level of lateral quickness (and ISO defense) that he can unlock. When he relaxes in his, as mentioned above, he can turn his body into the defense at the POA in the PNR, making it difficult to get through unscathed (on set screens and slipped screens). He shows major flashes getting over the top with the proper footwork (more often than not, it’s quite good), so the base appears to be there – the turning of the body is the random blip, not a common incident. Though there is the occasional crossing of feet, he generally does a good job sliding. As mentioned above, his footwork/technique getting through screens off ball is not good.

Written by Spencer Pearlman, https://twitter.com/SKPearlman, link to other pieces and in-depth reports: https://www.thestepien.com/author/spencerpearlman/