Tag: Anthony Edwards

Minnesota Timberwolves select Georgia Bulldogs SG Anthony Edwards first overall

Georgia Bulldogs shooting guard Anthony Edwards in the NBA Draft. Edwards attended high school at Holy Spirit Prep School.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have selected Georgia Bulldogs shooting guard Anthony Edwards with the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Edwards is the first University of Georgia player to be picked number one overall in school history.

Anthony Edwards played high school basketball at Holy Spirit Prep School in Atlanta, Georgia. He was rated as one of the top players in the class of 2019 before committing to the University of Georgia.

Edwards played in 32 games in his one season at Georgia. The six-foot-five, 225 pound shooting guard averaged 19.1 points per game. Edwards shows potential as a shooter despite only making 29.4% of his three point attempts for a talent-depleted Bulldog team.

Anthony Edwards is as talented as any player in the 2020 NBA Draft. He possesses impressive athleticism, finishes strong at the basket, has NBA-level shot-making ability, and is quite strong for a 19 year old prospect.

Additionally, Edwards has high defensive potential due to his six-foot-nine wingspan and his athletic traits. Edwards must lock-in on the defensive side of the ball in the NBA in order to fulfill his true potential.

Overall, Anthony Edwards is one of the most talented players in the 2020 NBA Draft and is worthy of the high selection. Now, he must get to work and prove himself at the next level.

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TEMPE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 14: Anthony Edwards of the Georgia Bulldogs handles the ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half of the NCAAB game at Desert Financial Arena on December 14, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona.

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

 

Klutch Sports Draft: Anthony Edwards goes No. 1 in 2020 NBA Draft

Edwards averaged 19.1 points per game, five rebounds, and just under three assists during his freshman year at Georgia.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, at least at the time of publishing, decided to keep the No. 1 pick in Wednesday’s 2020 NBA Draft and selected Georgia’s Anthony Edwards to join their other two core pieces, Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell. Edwards became the heavy favorite to go No. 1 overnight at the sportsbooks and he was emerging already as the physically strongest player available at the top of the draft in addition to his strong play at Georgia last season.

Edwards averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game in 32 games. Edwards had three games last season in which he scored 30 points or more with the Bulldogs. According to some of the Georgia strength coaches, they’ve never seen anything like Edwards when it comes to his strength and athleticism.

While he was a guard in college, the 6-5 Edwards should be able to play on the wing at the NBA level and fit next to Russell and Towns. Edwards is the first Klutch Sports Group player since Ben Simmons in 2016 to No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft.

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2020 NBA Draft live stream, how to watch, tv channel, start time, draft pick order

The 2020 NBA Draft will be held tonight virtually at ESPN Studios in Bristol, Connecticut. Stream all the NBA action live right here.

The 2020 NBA Draft will be held tonight virtually as opposed to the original plan of having it at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. With the 2020-21 season just around the corner, this will be the first offseason event the NBA will hold before training camp starts on Dec. 1 with opening night set for Dec. 22.

There is a lot of speculation of who will go #1 overall tonight, will it be Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Onyeka Okongwu, or Deni Avdija? This should be an exciting night, especially if your team is on the board.

Here is everything you need to know to stream all the action tonight:

2020 NBA Draft

  • Date: Wednesday, November 18
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

2020 NBA Draft Order

1. Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Golden State Warriors
3. Charlotte Hornets
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Cleveland Cavaliers
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Detroit Pistons
8. New York Knicks
9. Washington Wizards
10. Phoenix Suns
11. San Antonio Spurs
12. Sacramento Kings
13. New Orleans Pelicans
14. Boston Celtics (via Memphis)
15. Orlando Magic

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Anthony Edwards now betting favorite to go No. 1 in NBA draft

According to BetMGM and other sportsbooks in Las Vegas, Anthony Edwards is expected to be the No. 1 pick on Wednesday.

After the longest wait for a draft class in the history of the league, the players in the 2020 Draft will finally be given their new homes and they’ll have to get to those homes rather quickly as training camp is set to start across the league on Dec. 1. And as of draft day morning, Anthony Edwards, who is represented by Klutch Sports, is the new odds-on favorite to go No. 1 in Wednesday’s draft.

According to our friends at BetMGM, Edwards is now a -150 favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves hold the No. 1 pick but this draft has been rife with speculation everybody in the top-three would be willing to trade down. LaMelo Ball is the next closest favorite, at +130, according to BetMGM.

For the last few weeks, Edwards, Ball, and James Wiseman have been considered to be a consensus top three. But with a team in Golden State looking to contend next season, as well as Minnesota and Charlotte trying to compete for the playoffs, this draft has the potential to go off script from the very beginning.

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An Anthony Edwards quote about being ‘not really’ into basketball is alarming NBA fans

This isn’t a problem.

Anthony Edwards may end up being the top pick in the 2020 NBA draft on Wednesday night.

But there are NBA fans who think there’s a red flag that teams should be concerned about, thanks to a feature about the Georgia prospect from ESPN.

It’s in there that he was asked about how he became passionate about basketball after being a football player first. His answer?

“I’m still not really into it,” he said. “I love basketball, yeah. It’s what I do.”

He went on to say he’d leave basketball behind if he was drafted by the NFL, which doesn’t seem like it’s happening anytime soon:

“Because you can do anything on the field,” he explains. “You can spike the ball. You can dance. You can do all type of disrespectful stuff.” In the NBA, he says, “you can’t do any of that. You’ll get fined.”

This is being shared everywhere on the eve of the draft, and it feels ridiculous to worry that his love of football — and a perceived lack of passion for basketball — will be a problem.

Heck, later in the very same story, there’s this from his trainer Justin Holland:

That’s the way Edwards consumes basketball, Holland says, in short bursts. When Edwards said he wasn’t a fan of basketball, Holland says what he meant is he’s not a fan of watching games like he does football. But make no mistake, Holland says, he’s a student of the sport, breaking down clips of Bradley Beal’s step-back on his iPhone.

Edwards is a tough nut to crack, isn’t he? I ask.

Holland laughs.

“Right,” he says.

And further down:

“Basketball is my life,” he explains. “I love it, and it’s what I do. Basketball is my heart, but football is where I started, so I’ll never forget about that. But don’t get me wrong, basketball is my No. 1 because I feel like it’s going to get me through a lot of the stuff I need to get through.

“And it’s what I do. It’s a job. I feel like I’m working right now. I love it.”

It sounds like he’s putting in the work and that’s really what matters, and what I’m sure will matter going forward. If there’s a team worried about that, it’s the wrong approach.

I think the more notable quote is what he said about Damian Lillard’s rapping, which I’m pretty sure the Blazers star will take note of:

He goes on to say that he’s an aspiring rapper. He’s already recorded a few tracks with his older brother Bubba. So, like Damian Lillard? “But I really can rap,” he says. “Dame, talking about — I don’t know what he’s talking about. I’m rapping like Lil Baby.” He says he won’t release any songs until he’s established in the NBA.

We know what happens when you cross Lillard on a track. Just ask Marvin Bagley.

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Dwyane Wade: Anthony Edwards ‘can be better’ than him

Miami Heat basketball legend Dwyane Wade thinks that former Georgia Bulldog basketball standout Anthony Edwards can be better than him.

NBA and Miami Heat basketball legend Dwyane Wade has strong praise for former Georgia Bulldog basketball standout Anthony Edwards. Dwyane Wade, who is a three-time NBA Champion, believes that Anthony Edwards can be better than him.

Here’s what a quote of what Wade Tweeted regarding the University of Georgia basketball product:

He can be better. America here is your number 1 pick!

Anthony Edwards committed to the Georgia Bulldogs to go a similar journey to that of NBA superstars Victor Oladipo and Dwyane Wade.

Current Georgia basketball coach Tom Crean coached all three players. Crean previously coached Wade for several years when he was at Marquette, where the duo made a Final Four. Additionally, Crean coached Victor Oladipo at Indiana from 2010-2013. Both Oladipo and Wade ended up as top five NBA Draft picks. Crean maintains close relationships with all three players.

Anthony Edwards will look to be Tom Crean’s latest player to be a top five selection. All three players are dynamic shooting guards, who are excellent at getting to the rim. Each of them has explosive athleticism.

Anthony Edwards is arguably the best jump shooter of the group and came in as the most highly touted high school recruit of the three. He has to refine his defensive game in order to truly resemble Dwyane Wade or Victor Oladipo. Edwards does have immense defensive potential due to his rare athleticism and solid build.

Here’s Dwyane Wade’s reaction to Anthony Edwards picking him as his NBA comparison:

Victor Oladipo, a two time NBA All-Star, chimed in via Twitter as well. He’s definitely a believer a Anthony Edwards’ game.

Is Dwyane Wade, Victor Oladipo, or someone else a better NBA comparison for Anthony Edwards?

Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Ashley Landis/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

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Report: LaMelo Ball solidified spot in top three after ‘strong workouts’ for teams

After rumors that he might be falling out of the top eight of the draft, LaMelo Ball solidified his spot in the top three after strong workouts.

LaMelo Ball’s draft stock has bounced around wildly in the weeks leading up to the 2020 NBA Draft. After seeming like a lock to be a top-three pick for a long time, a report from Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell suggested Ball was struggling during his “job interviews.”

That report set off a whirlwind of follow-up reports that indicated Ball could slip entirely out of the top eight. Whether those reports led to Ball holding workouts in front of team execs remains to be seen but last week, Ball worked out individually for the Timberwolves and in a group setting for the Warriors, Hornets and Pistons.

In DraftExpress’ new mock draft on Monday, which actually saw Ball fall to the No. 3 pick, Jonathan Givony of ESPN and DraftExpress discussed those workouts and how important they were.

“Though a serious fall in the draft has never really looked likely, Ball’s series of strong private workouts in front of NBA teams this past week seems to have helped his case to stay in the top three.”

Fellow DraftExpress founder Mike Schmitz jumped on Sportscenter to discuss the “growing sense” of Anthony Edwards being the No. 1 pick, a debate that will remain in question until the night of the draft. What appears to not be in question, though, is that if he’s available for Charlotte at No. 3, the Hornets will snatch him up.

Ultimately, the rumor that he was slipping never had much weight to substantiate it and now it appears to be a draft rumor that will fall to the wayside.

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Report: ‘Growing sense’ that Anthony Edwards will be the No. 1 pick in 2020 NBA Draft

Despite a strong week last week from LaMelo Ball with private workouts, Anthony Edwards may be moving to the top pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

After trending toward LaMelo Ball being a lock for the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft last week, the start of draft week has seen a change at the top of the draft. DraftExpress’ Mike Schmitz appeared on Sportscenter on Monday morning to discuss the latest mock draft from himself and Jonathan Givony released on Monday as well.

The big change in that draft is LaMelo Ball being supplanted as the top pick with Anthony Edwards going to the Timberwolves. James Wiseman would go second to the Warriors and Ball would slip to Hornets at No. 3. Schmitz explained the reasoning for the trade.

“There’s a growing sense among NBA circles that if the draft were today, Anthony Edwards would be the favorite. There’s still figuring some things out. Nothing is set in stone but I think it’s an issue of fit more than anything. Teams don’t exactly see a bonfaide superstar at the top, right? So the first pick, the second pick, the third, they’re really going to evaluate fit with their team and if you look at the Minnesota Timberwolves, their two best players (are a) point guard in D’Angelo Russell and center in (Karl-Anthony Towns) so Anthony Edwards is the best fit there.”

The move is particularly interesting after Ball finally hit the court for individual workouts for teams last week. Though DraftExpress noted in their mock draft that Ball had strong showings in those workouts, Ball falling from the top spot doesn’t appear to be a result of that. Instead, it seems to be a result of the constant debate the Timberwolves have had since landing the No. 1 pick in fit versus talent.

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2020 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0: Final update ranking Top 100 prospects

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

Originally scheduled for June, the ongoing pandemic pushed the big night back by five months. While this may cause some teams to overthink their decisions, it gave analysts plenty of time to study all of the top prospects eligible in this class.

This year, players had to participate in a mostly virtual pre-draft process. On the bright side, this meant that teams had the opportunity to interview more candidates than ever before.

However, the number of in-person visits were incredibly limited due to the restrictive parameters set by the league. Similarly, the NBA draft combine was conducted without the typical scrimmages where players can separate themselves from the others with impressive on-court performances.

Overall, the players that stood out in this pre-draft process had a different path to recognition than any other year. College basketball players did not have the opportunity to showcase themselves during March Madness. The nation’s top seniors did not get to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

As such, executives will rely mostly on the existing game footage as well as the intel they gathered during their conversations with the prospects. We also depended on similar strategies, getting access to one-on-one interviews with more than three dozen prospects and exchanging our thoughts with various scouts across the league.

This helped us put together our final big board, looking at the Top 100 players ranked on their potential to make a difference for teams in the NBA.

Relevant statistics were pulled from Synergy Sports Tech, Bart-Torvik, KenPom, Open Look Analytics and RealGM. Note that the age listed for each player references how old they will be on the night of the draft.

NBA Wires roundtable: 2020 NBA mock draft

See the 2020 mock draft that the NBA Wires staff writers put together. Where did Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and LaMelo Ball end up?

Welcome to the NBA Wires 2020 mock draft.

Editors from our nine NBA sites came together the week before the NBA draft to simulate what could happen on Wednesday.

Site editors started choosing which teams they would represent before the NBA Draft Lottery and then filled in from there. Each has the usual team they cover plus multiple other teams.

They were allowed to make trades and do what they felt would be best for the general manager at that spot.

Here is the result of the mock draft. The real 2020 NBA draft is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 7 p.m. Eastern time.