NBA

Carsen Edwards NBA Draft Profile, Prediction and Scouting Report

by
Zach Brunner
June 19, 2019

Player Bio

Position: Guard
Height: 6′ 0″
Wingspan: 6′ 6″
Weight: 200 lbs
Age: 21
College: Purdue Boilermakers

Carsen Edwards was HOOPING for Purdue tonight.

42 PTS
12-21 FG
9-16 3PT
W pic.twitter.com/CLZqSgiqCb
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 24, 2019

Strengths

Edwards was one of the most prolific scorers in the nation this year, averaging 24.3 points and 3.8 made three-pointers per game. Many remember the show he put on during the NCAA Tournament, averaging 34.8 points during his four performances. Aside from his elite scoring ability, Edwards is one of the fastest and strongest at his position and he possesses a high basketball IQ.

Weaknesses

Where Edwards struggles is the defensive side of the floor. This likely can be attributed to expending all of his energy carrying the offense, but we have not seen Edwards be given much defensive responsibility either way. He is also undersized for the league, despite his strength.

Player Comparison

Derrick Rose

After his historic March Madness run ended in the Elite 8, Purdue's Carsen Edwards has become the subject of debate for NBA draft analysts.

Does he have enough size and playmaking to succeed on the next level? pic.twitter.com/avn9JoUIPG
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 2, 2019

Draft Prediction

Golden State Warriors (No. 28) or Philadelphia 76ers (No. 33)

Arguably the best scorer in the draft going to the best offensive team in the league? This could be a dangerous combination and the Warriors know it. There is a chance Golden State loses either Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant, and while there’s still scoring options on the team, it’d still be one less playmaker. We have also seen how injuries can stack up quickly for this team. Edwards would fit extremely well as a spark off the bench or slide into the rotation with the starters if someone is hurt. Being on the court with Steph Curry and Thompson/Durant, Edwards would not be the defensive focus for the first time in his career.

The 76ers have a big free agency class this summer, with Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler, JJ Redick and TJ McConnell all available. Edwards brings scoring and outside shooting ability, which Philadelphia will desperately need if they cannot re-sign or replace Butler and Redick. Even if they do address this, Edwards seems to be the perfect compliment to Ben Simmons and he would be extremely beneficial to play with the second unit, which ranked as the fourth-worst scoring bench this season (31.7 PPG).