Where does Anthony Edwards go from here? Analyzing shot selection after two SEC games

The first two SEC games in the career of Georgia’s freshman phenom Anthony Edwards haven’t gone exactly as planned.

The numbers look decent, as he’s averaging 20.5 points through contests against Kentucky and Auburn. But Edwards has shot under 50 percent in both games, and his shot selection has left plenty of room for improvement.

Bulldog head coach Tom Crean has said this year that he wants Edwards to be aggressive when trying to score. Two of the freshman’s college basketball idols, Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo, made a living from cutting and getting to the rim.

So far, Edwards is still trying to master that mindset.

“We’re trying to get him to understand, don’t predetermine the game,” Crean said on Jan. 6, the day before Georgia’s conference opener against Kentucky. “What we want him to do is play with his eyes up more, to be ready for the catch and shoot more. When he puts it down, what he’s so unique at, he can go both ways with the ball. Very rarely can somebody that age go equally that well right or left with the ball.”

While he didn’t necessarily attack the rim, Edwards did come out aggressive against the Wildcats. He took three jumpers in the first two minutes, missing the first before hitting a long two and a 3-pointer for five quick points.

But then, the freshman disappeared. He went nearly 10 minutes without taking a shot, although three of those minutes were spent on the bench. His next two attempts were both contested, fading 3-pointers, and he didn’t make another shot until his thunderous dunk just before halftime.

Unlike his deep jumper attempts, the dunk resulted from movement off the ball. Edwards deked his defender before cutting to the basket, receiving a pass from Sahvir Wheeler before rising for the slam.

Edwards came out of the break again looking to score as the Bulldogs looked to build their lead. He attempted six shots in less than seven minutes to start the half, knocking down a pair of early 3-pointers after the Wildcats had trimmed the lead to one.

The freshman also had one of his best plays of the game, driving to the rim and powering past Kentucky freshman Tyrese Maxey for a layup for his 15th and 16th points of the game.

But just like the first half, Edwards experienced an extended drought. He went from the 13:14 mark to the 4:18 mark without attempting a shot. After the layup past Maxey with 13:47 left to go, three long and contested missed shots came before his next made field goal, a driving layup between Kentucky defenders with just 1:25 left when the game was just about decided.

“That’s why he needs to get down and get to the rim,” commentator Jay Bilas said following that play.

Overall, Edwards ended his first SEC game 8-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-9 on 3-point field goals, for 23 points. He also attempted five free throws, making four of them.

Looking deeper, Edwards made just four of his 12 jumpshots, compared to hitting four of five shots attempted at or near the rim.

The SEC home opener vs. the Wildcats saw the freshman come out firing. But the exact opposite occurred when the Bulldogs hit the road to face No. 5 Auburn.

Edwards didn’t attempt his first shot, a contested off-the-dribble 3-pointer, until the 14:38 mark of the first half. That shot resulted in an offensive rebound and another Edwards miss, and then he went another four minutes without a field goal attempt. The first 20 minutes saw him take five shots overall.

Three of those attempts were contested, a pair of threes and a two-point shot from the free-throw line. Another 3-pointer also clanged off the rim. The one make was also one of the only times Edwards drove to the rim, and it resulted in a made layup and an and-one.

The second half saw Edwards attempt 10 shots after just five in the first half. But four of those first five were contested 3-pointers, although one of those did end up going in.

“He continues to dig himself a hole with those jack-up shots,” commentator Jimmy Dykes said after another contested 3-pointer later in the half.

The Bulldogs dug a massive hole, trailing by 20 points or more for much of the second half. But Edwards did show signs of a more aggressive mindset.

He finished an early dunk at the end of a backdoor cut, very similar to the play that ended the first half against Kentucky. He attempted three more shots at or near the rim in the second half, making two of them. Eight free throws also came after halftime, although Edwards only made three of them.

“The tough news is the other day is that he didn’t make the free throws,” Crean said Tuesday. “The great news is that he got 11 attempts. Right, that’s when you look at the glass half full rather than half empty.”

The game ended with Edwards making 6-of-15 field goals for 18 points. Of nine shots from behind the arc, only two found the bottom of the net.

Just like against the Wildcats, Edwards found much more success at the rim. He went 4-for-5 near the basket, compared to just 2-for-10 on jumpshots, many of which were heavily contested.

So, what can these numbers tell us about Edwards’ game and where he can go from here?

For one, the Bulldogs could benefit from Edwards being more consistently aggressive. Against Kentucky, he had a pair of nearly 10-minute droughts without attempting a shot. It took over five minutes for him to hoist his first shot against Auburn.

Edwards has also shown a tendency to be more aggressive after halftime. Of his 32 field goal attempts in SEC play, 20 have come in the second period. He’s shot 11 second-half free throws compared to five in the first half. If he came out looking to establish a rhythm early, it could result in a more consistent scoring performance.

However, what that mentality can’t turn into is deciding how a possession is going to end before it ever really gets started.

“I think that the problem and a big growth step for him right now is the predetermination,” Crean said on Jan. 14. “We just can’t have that.”

But the biggest takeaway is that just like the players he looked up to, Edwards needs to attack the rim more.

He has made 8-of-10 shots attempted around the rim so far in SEC play. On jumpers, he’s 6-for-22.

Edwards has the talent and the stroke to connect on those jump shots, but too often he settles for contested shots after coming off screens or dribbling to the spot he wants. As Crean said, more catch and shoot opportunities might help him get into a shooting rhythm.

With all this being said, Edwards is still a freshman who has just played his first two SEC games. There’s plenty of time left in the season for him to put things together and become a more consistent offensive threat.

If the Bulldogs are going to make any noise in the conference, they’re going to need him.

“A lot of times when you have that kind of weaponry inside of your game you have to take advantage of it,” Crean said. “Again, it’s just getting him to read the game, understanding how much more efficient he is when he attacks.”