If the Warriors win the NBA draft lottery – and choose not to trade the selection – who will they take with the no. 1 general choice?
Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle reported in April that Georgia guard Anthony Edwards would likely be the choice. And on Tuesday, he provided an even deeper explanation.
“Golden State believes per source of competition that Edwards is one of the few players available in this concept that can immediately contribute and develop into a face of the franchise within the next few seasons,” writes Letourneau.
This would be the ideal outcome for the franchise. A perfectly healthy Warriors roster – which in theory would include some major additions this entire season – would not immediately require major contributions from Edwards. The Atlanta resident turned 19 just last week, and he would have the luxury of learning from Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.
Edwards was able to adapt his time to adapting to life as a professional, and gain as much knowledge as possible, as he continued to learn the nuances of the game.
And in that whole process, the goal would be for Edwards to realize his potential, become an All-Star player, and help carry the franchise into the next iteration.
[RUNNIN’ PLAYS PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]
But the truth is that this possible plan is far from a guarantee. In the eyes of many design analysts, Edwards is not a sure-fire prospect. Yes, he averaged 19.1 points per game as a freshman for the Bulldogs, and had some unusual performances.
STEPH + KLAY + ANTHONY EDWARDS = OH MY pic.twitter.com/WdlotMUoIo
– Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) November 26, 2019
ANTHONY EDWARDS IS A MONSTER !! pic.twitter.com/y3O5uOrPrZ
– Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) November 26, 2019
But he shot 40 percent overall and just 29.4 percent from 3-point range over 32 games.
“I think he needs to work on attacking the court a little more,” Brother Edwards, Antoine, Dell and Sonya Curry said in May. “He regulates a lot for the jump when he’s quite strong and big. He comes to the hole with contact – people hit and grab his arm – and he can still lift the ball.
“You do that with ease. Why sit out there and make a troublesome shot when you can do something easy?”
I’m in. Anthony Edwards will score a lot of points in the NBA. Sign me up pic.twitter.com/5r7eZ3z8lR
– Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) March 7, 2020
[RELATED: Report: Warriors haven’t met with top prospect Edwards yet]
The lottery will be held next Thursday, August 20th, and this whole discussion could become a point as the Dubs slip to say No. 4 or No. 5, and Edwards goes into the top three.
Isn’t it crazy how ping pong balls can change the course of NBA history?
Follow @DrewShiller on Twitter and Instagram
