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Justin Edwards did not fare well at Kentucky but excelled at Imhotep. In the second round, is he someone worth risking all for?

We’ll examine a variety of possibilities in-depth here at Liberty Ballers before to the 2024 NBA Draft in an effort to determine which players, if selected at Nos. 16 and 41, would be the most suitable for the Sixers. Justin Edwards of Kentucky is the next opponent in this series.

In 2023, Justin Edwards won the title of Mr. Basketball for Pennsylvania after leading Imhotep to a consecutive second-round state triumph. The native of Philadelphia and D.J. Wagner of Camden were a part of Kentucky’s outstanding recruiting class once again. Despite being one of the best prospects in the nation, Edwards’ one and only season with the Wildcats was uneventful.

Profile 2023–24 Stats: 48.5 % FG, 36.5 % 3P, 77.5 % FT, 32 games, 21.4 minutes, 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocks

Group: Kentucky

Year: Novice

Place: Wing

Weight & Height: 6’6″ | 209.4 lbs. without shoes

December 16, 2003, at the age of 20.

Place of origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Senior year: Imhotep

Advantages

Edwards, who is 6-foot-6 with a wingspan of 6-10, is a genuine NBA wing. His lefty swing is fluid. He can shoot above opponents because of his rapid and high release. Despite making only 2.6 tries per game, he shot over 46% from beyond the field in his final 18 games after having a sluggish start. Despite his lackluster combine performance, he has an athletic build. He demonstrated excellent touch around the rim and genuine cutting ability. He also exhibits good cutting and off-ball movement instincts.

As an off-ball defender, he shown flashes, entering passing lanes and recording deflections. In certain games, his point-of-attack defense looked effective, making good use of his length to worry smaller opponents.

Limitations
Edwards shown a great deal of inconsistency for a premium recruit. It’s reasonable to question if Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, who were both predicted to place highly in the first round, outperformed him or if there was a more serious problem. In any case, he was frequently overlooked during the previous season. When driving, he leans heavily to his left, and he didn’t do much to set others up for success.

You worry if that lack of peak athleticism will be evident defensively. He did have some moments when defending the ball, but he did appear stiff when facing guys with more movement. There is room for improvement, but he will need to put in some effort.

Place-based Fit
Clearly, Edwards is a wing. What kind of wing is yet unknown. He should be able to stay in the NBA because to his shooting technique. His future role at the highest level will depend on how he improves the other aspects of his game, such as ball handling, playmaking, and defense.

Draft Projection: Round Two

It seems like this is the kind of player Daryl Morey would select. Based on his past draft performance, it appears that he will not select individuals based on positional fit or immediate assistance. He will probably select the player with the greatest upside out of all of them. You can persuade yourself into Edwards because in the NBA, big wings with shooting ability will probably never go out of style.