Anthony Edwards, who is projected by many to be the No.1 pick in the upcoming draft, stated this Friday that he decided to enter the NBA draft. The freshman who pretty much amazed all the NCAA fans during the current season revealed his plans, thus creating many reactions.
Up until now, this wasn’t officially confirmed, and there were some speculations that Edwards might stay at least one more year with his Georgia Bulldogs. Still, those who hoped to see him next season in the red jersey are very disappointed after his statement.
“Georgia will always be my home, but I am ready to take my game to the next level and have decided to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft,” Edwards wrote on Twitter.
Edwards is one of the most skilled and versatile backcourt players in the last couple of years. He stands at 6-foot-5 and has 225 pounds, which makes him very much athletic even though he is just 18 years old. According to all the experts and scouts, he needs very little work in the gym when talking about his preparations for the NBA.
However, what also makes him unique is the skillset he possesses. Anthony is handling the ball and has a court vision of an elite point guard, yet he knows how to use his strength and length in order to score. With fantastic decision making, especially in transition, he is a perfect player for today’s NBA while revolves around versatile combo guards and forwards who can cover multiple positions and also contribute on the defensive side on the floor.
His defense is solid, and still has plenty of room for improvement, mostly because of his physics. The scouts are also praising his maturity, saying that although he is young, the attitude on the court is positive and that he shows all the characteristics one leader needs.
Anthony was named SEC freshman of the year, and was also picked in the second All-SEC team. His Bulldogs weren’t that noticeable when looking at the results posted throughout the campaign, but Anthony’s stats and performances were excellent.
He averaged 19.1 points had 5.2 boards and 1.3 steals, along with a few pretty big games in which he dropped 25 or more points.
Because of all things mentioned above, many scouts see him as the No.1 pick in the upcoming draft, and the player himself thinks that he deserves to be the top choice.
“I think I should go No. 1, no doubt,” Edwards recently told in one interview. “That’s the only place I think I should go.”
Right now, his only rival for that place might be James Wiseman, Memphis’ center whose position could be the advantage over Anthony in certain scenarios. If teams like Cleveland, Detroit, or some like that pick first, they would probably go after Wiseman, who is a standout big fellow who fits their roster. On the other side, Golden State or Minnesota would definitely go with Anthony, whose characteristics are ideal for small ball basketball. Having in mind that the Warriors have the highest chances to pick first, Anthony
