Georgia’s Anthony Edwards looks like second coming of Dwyane Wade

The Georgia Bulldogs got exactly what they anticipated from freshman star Anthony Edwards in his first game.

Anthony Edwards entered the NCAA as the second overall player in the Class of 2019. He reclassified into last year’s senior class and despite being a year younger than his peers, his talent has helped him stand out among them. Tom Crean convincing him to stay local and play at Georgia was huge and now the program is reaping the benefits.

In a game that was much closer than the 91-72 final score would indicate, Edwards was the catalyst for a second-half surge that was enough to put the Western Carolina Catamounts away for good.

The freshman finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three assist in his first game. The fans came out to Athens in bunches to watch and Edwards didn’t let any of them down.

His points came in a variety of ways and he showed he is an impactful scorer at all three levels.

As was assumed, Crean let Edwards handle the bulk of ball-handling duties when he was on the floor. Doing this prevents opposing teams from loading up against him in the half-court to try and keep the ball out of his hands. Instead, he’s a threat to make something happen the moment the Bulldogs cross into the frontcourt.

His comfort operating on-ball was evident from the beginning. However, he isn’t only looking to create shots for himself. There was a key stretch in the second half where Edwards scored or assisted on 14 straight Georgia points. His reaction and celebrations for his assists were even bigger than when he scored.

At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds and a near 6-foot-11 wingspan, the easy comparison to make is to James Harden and there were times he looked like the former MVP. He hit two 3-pointers from the top of the key that featured a similar rhythmic between the legs dribble to get his defender off-balance before rising up to sink in the shot.

Edwards’s form on his perimeter shots is very fluid. He brings the ball up in one motion and has a high and consistent release point at his forehead. Given that defenders have to be wary of getting beat off the dribble by him, he can get off good looks from outside the paint at will seemingly.

He’ll need to cut back on the four turnovers he had going forward but all freshmen are loose with the ball at the beginning of their collegiate careers. Tightening up his handle prior to making the jump to the NBA could be the difference between becoming a top-three or top-five pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

On the surface, Edwards looks the part of a future superstar. He has the measurements, he has the skill, he has the right attitude and now he just has to put it together night-in and night-out.

The SEC is loaded and could be the strongest conference in the country. If Edwards can help Georgia remain in the race for a conference title then his development under Crean would be a fast-paced version of what he did for Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo previously.

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