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

Why the Atlanta Hawks should (and shouldn’t) draft Anthony Edwards in the 2020 NBA Draft.

The Atlanta Hawks are in a great position heading into the 2020 NBA Draft. With established young stars and cap space to add study vets, the player they draft with their first pick will be supplemental and not make-or-break the rebuild.

One player often tied to the Hawks is Anthony Edwards, who fills the team’s biggest positional need on paper (shooting guard) while having the obvious Georiga connection. Problem is, he’s atop many other team’s big boards as well.

Per Odds Shark, Edwards has the best chance of being the first overall pick in the October draft. The Hawks have a 12.5 percent chance of landing that top pick in the lottery, meaning they likely have just a 12.5 percent chance of drafting him.

That is, of course, if they want him, and there is a real case that the Hawks shouldn’t have the Georgia product atop their wishlist.

Here we’ll be attempting to dig into the pros and cons of the Atlanta Hawks drafting Anthony Edwards, looking at why they should and why they shouldn’t – given they have the chance. Let’s dig in.

Why the Atlanta Hawks Should Draft Anthony Edwards

1. Positional fit

As mentioned in the intro, this is the reason most draw a line between Edwards and the Hawks. The Hawks have their point guard set with Trae Young, two solid-looking small forwards in Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter, and have a full frontcourt as well, with John Collins, Clint Capela, and Dewayne Dedmon all set for big minutes.

Kevin Huerter is a very solid two-guard, but he projects to be a better bench piece than a starter, giving the Hawks a hole there. The 6-foot-5 Edwards can slide right in and provide energetic play on both ends.

2. Defensive backcourt balance

The Hawks need to find a stout guard defender to help offset Trae’s downfalls in this department, and Edwards can be that guy. He flashed tremendous one-on-one defense in Athens, even if he needs to work on his team D/ Communication early on.

Shifty feet and strong hands will make him a hard matchup for even the best offensive players as a rookie, alleviating the pressure Trae and the rest of the Hawks’ defense felt these past few seasons.

3. Bucket-getter

Often times – especially late in games – Trae Young was tasked with creating his own look due to the team lacking a true secondary scorer. Edwards has pro-ready shot creation skills and isn’t afraid to attack in isolation.

He can pull up from three, stop on a dime and fire from mid-range and finish around the rim with a variety of moves.

His efficiency (which we’ll get to) wasn’t great as he was asked to do too much for a lackluster Georgia team, but his ability to get open and shoot is easily atop of this draft class. With combo-guard-like capabilities, Edwards could be trusted to create a solid look for himself whenever Trae needs a possession off.

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.

Should the Atlanta Hawks draft Anthony Edwards?