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Why the Atlanta Hawks Should and Shouldn’t Draft Anthony Edwards

By Dallin Duffy

ATHENS, GA - JANUARY 7: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs controls the ball during a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Stegeman Coliseum on January 7, 2020 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GA - JANUARY 7: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs controls the ball during a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Stegeman Coliseum on January 7, 2020 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Why the Atlanta Hawks Shouldn’t Draft Anthony Edwards

1. Doesn’t fit Hawks’ timeline

The Atlanta Hawks are ready to win. They were ready a year ago and they’ll be even more ready whenever the 2020-2021 season kicks off.

Edwards is seen as more of a project pick and not one with a, particularly high floor. He’ll need some time before the game slows down and would be best suited going to a team like Detroit, Charlotte, or New York, who can afford to let him play and develop without hurting the team’s playoff chances.

The Hawks playing Edwards big minutes as a rook would be detrimental to their postseason hopes just as much as it would be detrimental to Edwards’ development as a player.

2. Efficiency/shot selection

Edwards’ shooting splits as a freshman were fairly atrocious, and the main reason he might slip a few spots in the draft. He shot just 40 percent from the field, 29 percent from three and a so-so 77 percent from the stripe.

It feels hypocritical to critique his shot selection after praising his shot selection, but Edwards was often the walking definition of “Million dollar move, 10-cent finish.”

His ability to get open was fantastic, truly game-changing, but lacked consistent success on the shot itself. The real problem came with his inability to stop shooting, with the wing trying to shoot himself out of slumps routinely. He attempted 7.7 threes per game despite his sub-30 percent rate.

He took 20 or more shots in seven of his 32 games, averaging 15.8 per contest. Going from the first option as he was in college to a secondary scorer in the NBA will naturally help some of this, but his offensive decision making has to be questioned at this stage.

3. Motor

Anthony Edwards is a gifted perimeter defender when he tries. The problem is, he doesn’t try every possession.

He could look like prime Tony Allen one possession and a high school bench-warmer on defense the next for Georgia, something that simply won’t fly in the league.

Although he could easily become the best defender in the class, guys like Devin Vassell and Isaac Okoro have been celebrated for their defensive motor and high-IQ, making the pick tougher if the Hawks are looking through a defense-only lens.

Next. Why Trae Young would have thrived in Orlando Bubble. dark

Should the Atlanta Hawks draft Anthony Edwards?