Anthony Edwards’ Strengths
A captivating freshman season in Athens saw Edwards get 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 40.2 percent shooting from the field and a lackluster 29.4 percent from beyond the arc.
While only 18 years old, and nowhere near his athletic prime, time and training with an NBA squad will help his shooting improve. Like we saw with Lonzo Ball, shooting is often the last thing to come for young players.
He has great athleticism for his age and a strong body which can help him through smaller guard defenders.
Some pro comparisons have been Dwyane Wade and Donovan Mitchell, one future Hall of Famer and the other a current star in the NBA.
His game shows a lot of confidence in his own abilities and can help him find success sooner than later as long as he isn’t asked to do too much with his new team.
In terms of personality, there are no clear negatives surrounding the young man and that goes a long way in terms of draft-ability besides talent and raw skill.
With his position and draft stock, the New Orleans Pelicans would most likely have to consider moving off of current franchise player Holiday as a trade piece to move up.
With Holiday being an All-Defense caliber player, it is going to be a tough decision but with Ball in the backcourt mix and Edwards averaging 1.3 steals per game in college it just might be worth it.
It might sting in the short-term but the long-term benefits could pay off.
The New Orleans Pelicans would retain an elite backcourt and possibly clear some cap space if they decide to move Holiday in an attempt to move up in the draft to select Edwards.