Despite an overall underwhelming season, Justin Edwards still has the potential to be a good player at the NBA level. Standing at six-foot-eight with a six-foot-ten wingspan, Edwards has the physical tools and the flashes to serve as a floor spacer and be versatile defensively.
Justin Edwards 2024 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Edwards was a one-and-done in college, playing with the Kentucky Wildcats and under famed head coach John Calipari, who recently became the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. At Kentucky, Edwards averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. Furthermore, he shot 48.6% from the field, 36.5% from three, and 77.5% from the foul line. Overall, Edwards had a disappointing season with Kentucky and he did not live up to his preseason hype. However, Edwards demonstrated, especially in the second half of his season, that he can shoot the ball with confidence. He was selected to be on the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List and received the Wooden Award for his preseason.
Strengths
On offense, Edwards demonstrated his ability to provide value off the ball, especially as a floor spacer and off-ball cutter. As a floor spacer, Edwards has shown that he can proficiently space the floor, mainly in spot-up situations. Also, Edwards has a very good-looking shooting form. Furthermore, Edwards is a very smart off-ball cutter and he fully takes advantage of his athleticism in that role. It is also important to note that Edwards has been generally efficient in shooting the ball. His efficiency was evident around the basket, where he shot 63% at the rim.
On defense, Edwards has good upside to be versatile due to his physical tools and athleticism. He has shown flashes of utilizing his wingspan to disrupt plays or pick off passes. Additionally, Edwards has shown flashes of being a good weakside shot blocker, using his aforementioned wingspan to stifle shot attempts. Edwards has good potential as an on-ball defender due to his size and wingspan. lastly, due to his athleticism, size, and lateral quickness, he could be able to guard anywhere between one through four.
Weaknesses
Edwards has many weaknesses that hold his game back and cause his draft stock to drop dramatically. On offense, Edwards largely lacked the ability to create shots for himself or others. Specifically for playmaking, Edwards averaged less than one assist, meaning he isn’t going to be setting anyone up. He isn’t a great ball-handler either. Any offense coming from Edwards has largely been spot-up threes, attacking closeouts, and off-of cuts. Consequently, his offensive deficiencies will limit his role in the NBA unless he improves dramatically.
His defense currently is flashes of what he could be. His defensive abilities did not manifest during his time at Kentucky and he will need time to further develop his potential there. Additionally, he does struggle when put in screens and will need to improve his strength to fight through them. Edwards can be slow to react at times as well. In general, Edwards will need time and development to fully realize his defensive potential.
NBA Comparison
One player who shares some resemblance to Edwards is Amir Coffey. Both are lefty forwards with can space the floor and be versatile on defense. Another lefty forward that comes to mind is RJ Barrett, as they have similar frames, defensive abilities, and weaknesses.
