NBA Draft 2020: What Anthony Edwards has to do to be the #1 pick

2) Smarter shot selection

One way to do that, and to help answer a big question NBA teams have about Edwards, is to take smarter shots and be more efficient with his offense.

The freshman is only shooting 40.7 percent from the field, including a less-than-ideal 31.4 percent from three-point range. That three-point percentage is really bringing down his overall percentage because he takes so many shots from out there. He’s currently averaging over seven three-point attempts per game – just under half of his total shot attempts – which is way more than a below-average shooter could be taking.

In a way, though, he has taken more three-pointers than normal because his perimeter shooting is a big weakness in his game. He has tried to prove to scouts he can make shots from behind the arc and, instead, has hurt himself and his team by taking a lot of bad shots.

Edwards would be much better attacking the basket at a higher rate and utilizing his special ability to finish around the rim.

Of course, the flip side to that is the fact Edwards is far and away Georgia’s best offensive player, and they often rely on him to 1) do everything or himself and/or 2) make a play late in the shot clock. He ranks 16th in the country in percentage of shots taken, showing just how much UGA relies on him.

That role lends itself to being put in bad situations and some bad shots, but many of his inefficiencies are self-inflicted. Work on eliminating those and scouts will feel much more confident about his game.