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JustinEdwards.jpg

Justin Edwards

Imhotep Charter School (PA)

Team Final (Nike EYBL)

Class

2023

Height

6'7"

Weight

~190 lbs

Position

W

Wingspan

6'10"

Committed

Kentucky

Physical/Athleticism

Offensive Qualities

Shooting

Dribbling

Passing

Defense

IQ

Disposition

July 2022

Statistical Sample for the 2021-22 High School Season and 2022 EYBL Sessions

Justin Edwards Stats.jpg
Warm-Up: Point Guard Eyes published a Twitter Evaluation on Edwards in December of 2021, but a full evaluation has always been the plan. This full evaluation will look to build on the foundation set by that previous evaluation, and will be much more extensive.
Physical/Athleticism
Physical/Athleticism

  • Excellent overall athlete

  • A lengthy, terrifically fluid athlete equipped with quick-twitch fibers and long strides

    • Open, fluid hips that turn quickly on defensive drop steps

    • Runs the floor at high, controlled speeds

    • Covers a ton of ground in short time

    • 6’10” wingspan (+3”)

Watch the quick switch of the hips and then use of length to block the shot

  • Springy, pogo-stick jumper off of one or two feet

    • Bouncy off the standing vertical, one-and-two step vertical, and on the run

    • Appears more explosive in comparison to a year ago

  • Thin, athletic build with some wiry strength

    • Will benefit from increasing upper body strength as he moves on to the next level

    • Owns a rangy frame that should support gradual increases in muscle mass without hindering his athleticism as he grows older

  • Largely a finesse player whose athleticism allows him to experience success amongst some contact

    • Not contact averse, but does prefer to play the finesse game

  • Very quick off the floor to go along with a great second jump

  • Effective first step and improved burst off the bounce

  • Innate timing and anticipation in various capacities, from rebounding to all things defense

  • Very good hand-eye coordination

    • Has quick, sticky hands that are aided by those long arms, serving him well on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor

  • Plays with a consistent motor, moving with urgency in times of matter

    • Highly active on both ends

  • Very good body control and is rarely off balance

  • First-class agility

Other Offensive Qualities
Offensive Qualities

  • Boasts a potent offensive skillset that has grown all-around year-over-year

    • Continues to lift his floor, while pushing the possibilities of his ceiling higher

      • Possesses significant upside

    • Skillset is versatile, adaptable, and impactful

      • Contributes to winning in many ways

  • An active, versatile scorer who efficiently produces from all 3 levels on a consistent basis

    • Able to rely on different parts of his game when one is not clicking

      • Capable of supplementing his scoring in various ways when, for instance, his outside shot may not be falling. Such ways will be visited throughout this section of the evaluation.

    • Comprehends how to make the game easier for himself by picking up easy baskets in transition, on the offensive board, and moving without the ball (all activity-related)

    • Scoring versatility and supplementation still have room to improve, as he learns to get to the line more often

      • Had a 22.6% free throw rate over the 13 games charted

    • Scoring efficiency notes: (in the 13 games charted)

      • Scored ~20 ppg on 14.6 attempts

      • Both true shooting and effective field goal percentages were >60%

  • Consistent 3-point shooter who is capable of converting:

    • On the spot-up

      • Prefers to spot up on the wings, typically on or above the break, with emphasis on the extended elbows

      • Shows the ability to shoot it from all around the perimeter

  • Off of movement

    • Moves smoothly off of pin downs, double screens, and perimeter cuts

    • Uses good angles, moves with urgency, and preps for the shot with proper footwork

  • Comfortable coming off of dribble hand-offs

  • Excellent pick-and-pop shooter

    • Sprints to the spot

  • Developing off the dribble and slowly implementing into his game

    • Rhythm dribbles/hesi-rhythm dribbles

    • Coming off of ball/rub screens

  • Will shoot the occasional pull-up 3 in transition/semi-transition

  • Efficient from mid-range. Still growing in his ability to get to different spots on the floor. At his best off the bounce when he is in rhythm moving to his left, but has also shown similar abilities going right (see more below).

    • Uses one, two, and three-dribble pull-up variations to attack closeouts, as well as on the catch coming off of perimeter cuts

  • Operates out of the mid-post, with a strong desire to shoot the turnaround over the right shoulder

    • On the catch, he likes to face up and operate from a jab-step series, looking to get back to his left for the pull-up or turnaround jumper

    • Shows patience and an unwillingness to settle for uncomfortable shots

    • Has no problem dribbling the defender down and working with his back to the basket

  • Will increase his effectiveness by developing shots over his left shoulder (going right) to lessen the predictability. Has shown to work against himself by taking away the advantage of spacing in an effort to get to that turnaround going left.

  • Progressing self-creation abilities off the dribble – has shown improvements, but still has plenty of upside left in this department

    • Has the spin left into the jumper, feeling the defender’s momentum and using it against him

  • Will also spin back to his right to counter being cut off, adding a slight step back on the end to create additional space

  • Utilizes the crossover into the jumper

  • Typically uses his dribbles efficiently and avoids overdribbling

  • Expected to continue improving with the addition of more counters, deception, and misdirection

  • Prefers to shoot going left in all capacities listed above

    • Shows that he is more than capable knocking the mid-range jumper down off the dribble going right

  • Will improve by evening out his approach and would benefit greatly by developing a step back going right

  • Adept at getting to the rim in a variety of ways:

    • Attacks closeouts with urgency, an improving use of advantageous angles, and an effective first step

    • Combines increasingly skilled footwork and balance to navigate through traffic and slither through crevices in the defense

  • As a cutter – excellent cutter from the right corner, specifically. Cuts are often by designed, but he will also read the ball handler.

    • Excels on the backdoor cut, and really does a nice job of selling it by first stepping up toward the approaching ball handler, then pushing off with a quick burst to the rim.

    • Has built chemistry with his skilled guards in this regard, and should have no problem doing this with high level playmakers and distributors at the next level.

  • Originating from the mid-post, where he likes to catch, rip, and go

  • Self-creation dribble moves from the point of attack – has proven to be most effective at creating advantages off the bounce when his plan is to get to the rim

    • Has uses elongated movements and strides mixed with hesitations

      • Utilizes north-south, single dribble moves, selling misdirection and wasting no time exploding to the basket

    • Owns nice left-to-right and right-to-left crossovers

      • Can use the quicker, more compact cross or a longer, Iverson-type cross for greater misdirection

    • Likes to spin back left to his strong hand

  • Straight-line drives, knifing left, and getting downhill

  • Shows off his burst and quick-twitch movements in his attack

  • Retains control of his body on the drive and rarely picks up offensive fouls

  • Finishing – converts at a high percentage around the rim

    • Above the rim finisher who will put it on your head, dunk with power off two feet, lift off of one foot, and periodically throw in some style

  • Progressing ability to finish through contact

    • Should continue to advance as he matures physically

  • Adept at finishing through traffic with feel and touch, craft, and mid-air adjustments

    • Uses his athleticism and length to his advantage

  • Finishes predominantly with his left and will benefit from strengthening his off-hand to give him greater versatility around the rim, especially against rim protection at the next level

  • Catches the lob in transition and in the half court

  • Knows when to use the rim for protection

  • Has a preference to adjust around the defender rather than use his body to create the contact

  • Makes adequate use of the backboard

  • Plays his game and seldomly ventures outside of it. He sticks to what he does best. In this way, he stays within himself and allows the game to come to him. However, he is able to balance this discipline with the ability to seize his opportunities without hesitation. His aggression does not disrupt the flow of the game for his team, especially since he is able to affect the game without the ball in his hands.

  • Not ball dominant. Doesn’t need to score the ball to impact the game offensively, and is capable of generating his own offense outside of actions, sets, and concepts designed for the ball to be in his hands.

    • Effective offensive rebounder who has outstanding judgment of where the ball is coming off the rim, and the physical attributes and motor to win the ball

      • Showcases his length, leaping ability, sticky hands, and a quick second jump to capture extra possessions and opportunities for putbacks

  • Gives 2nd and 3rd efforts

  • Will fight for position by circumventing block outs

  • Very effective at following his own missed shots for putbacks

  • Is a threat to catch it right off the rim

  • Highly skilled in the art of turning defense to offense (see much more in the “Defense” section below)

  • Progressing shooting gravity on the perimeter, with a solid understanding of how off-ball movement can shift defenses and affect rotations

  • Comprehends the importance of ball movement

    • Swings the ball and makes the extra pass regularly

  • Excels in the transition game…

  • A superb transition player – flows effortlessly within the pace of the game to display his 3-level scoring prowess, and is capable of pushing the pace himself when it’s advantageous

    • Changes ends with grace, speed, and efficacy

    • Runs the lane as a finisher and spot-up shooter

      • Tremendous open court finisher

  • Attacks off the bounce on the advance pass/outlet pass to become a pull-up shooter or slasher to the rim

  • Reads the court, takes his time, and will smartly take the pull-up jumper the defense gives him

  • In addition to what has been discussed above, he also attacks off the dribble with a greatly improved and continuously growing ability to board and push the pace himself as the ball handler. He is a true threat to capitalize on semi-transition opportunities due to this skillset and activity on the defensive glass.

  • Selectively pushes with control, seizing driving lanes as they appear, and countering defenders in the open court

    • Uses proficient open court ball handling skills (touched on above and more in the “Dribbling” section below), mainly with his strong hand, to navigate traffic on his way to the rim

  • Understands when to slow it down and pull it out, or when to simply enter the ball into early offense to snowball advantages

  • Learning to relocate on his initial pass looking for the shot

  • Capable of making good decisions with the pass

  • Quickly turns defense to transition offense (see more in the “Defense” section below)

  • Pick-and-roll play – capable of functioning as the screener or the ball handler

    • As the screener, he specializes as a pick-and-pop option, where he often runs simple interference or rub screens that lead to sprints to the spot for three

    • Developing nicely as the ball handler, albeit on a low number of reps per game

      • Capable of running the pick-and-pop, showing that he understands how to draw the attention of both defenders in the action and kick to the shooter

      • Also able to take advantage of soft or drop coverage to pull from deep or get to the mid-range

  • Displays playmaking abilities out of the action

  • Flashes playmaking in the half court when attacking off the bounce outside of pick-and-roll play

Shooting
Shooting

  • A consistent, smooth shooting lefty with fluid mechanics

  • A good overall shooter who has solid shooting upside

    • Improved in virtually every shooting facet year-over-year

  • Steady and reliable shooter from 3

    • Shot 37.7% from 3 on 4.1 attempts per game in the 13 games charted

    • Shot 39% from 3 on 4.1 attempts per game in the 19 Nike EYBL games leading up to Peach Jam

    • Overall, he shot 37.4% on 4 attempts per game (40-for-107) in 27 total games (8 games at Imhotep during the high school season and 19 EYBL games)

    • Interestingly, when he misses, he tends to miss badly. Otherwise, there’s a good chance it’s going in.

    • Shoots his best percentage on spot-up attempts

  • Accurate shooter off of movement, albeit limited reps to observe

  • Has extended his range and improved his percentages from deeper distances

    • Shot mechanics support longer range shooting and promote greater consistency for the long-term

  • Quality mid-range jump shooter

    • A tough pull-up jump shooter when in rhythm

  • Demonstrated consistency off the bounce or on the catch

  • Improving shot maker who shows the ability to convert over heavy contests

  • Shot 62% from 2 in the 13 games charted

  • Expanding shooting gravity

    • Adds spacing to the floor and commands attention on the perimeter

  • Release is adequately quick

  • Needs to continue to improve his consistency from the foul line

    • Shot 65.1% on 3.3 attempts per game over the 13 games charted

  • Footwork – preps well for the shot. Prep work allows him to move immediately into his shooting rhythm.

    • On the catch

      • Will shoot off a jump stop when the attempt is off of movement

      • Will sometimes shoot off of a various 1-2 steps when spotting up, depending on where the pass is coming from and where he is catching it

  • Off the bounce, he generally shoots it off a jump stop

  • Shot selection

    • Has a healthy shot mix from each of the three levels

    • Despite his perimeter shooting efficiency, he does not rely on the jumper

    • 28.1% of attempts came from behind the arc in the 13 games charted, with the majority of those attempts being spot up 3s

    • Often looks for the best available shot

    • Has a specific repertoire of shots and rarely ventures outside of them

    • There’s little variation to his approach from game-to-game

  • Mechanics – repeatable form

    • Left leg is inverted

    • Right shoulder tends to hang out a bit

    • Elbow is usually a little more than 90-degrees

    • Release begins from the top of his forehead

    • Shoots upward, putting good trajectory on the shot

    • Smooth mechanics all the way around – essentially one fluid motion

Dribbling
Dribbling

  • Fully functional handle for a non-ball dominant wing, helping to contribute to his versatile impact on the game. Has improved his overall ball control year-over-year, and has become more effective and comfortable attacking off the dribble in various situations.

    • Transition/semi-transition/open court – this is where he tends to open up his handle most, displaying a greater variation of creativity against backpedaling defenders and retreating defenses

      • Long crossover going left-to-right or vice versa

      • Spin moves going either way

      • Stutter step variations

      • Throws in changes of pace/hesitations to keep defenders off balance. Can really burst out of those long rhythm dribbles.

  • Point of attack in the half court – improved self-creation abilities off the bounce, with more growth

  • Helps to alleviate pressure against zone and man presses, generally from the middle of the floor

  • Stays within his abilities and sticks to his strengths

  • Despite his functionality and improvements, he still has a tendency to be a little loose with the dribble. However, he continues to show that he moves well off the bounce and is progressing with getting where he wants to go, using long strides, effective faints and sales of misdirection to keep defenders moving and off balance.

    • Looseness shows most through a high dribble – has a tendency to allow the dribble to drift up to his shoulders in transition, on the change of hands when averting the hedger on ball screens, when utilizing his speed dribble, and when changing directions in the open court

  • Covers good ground with his speed dribble

  • Uses his dribbles efficiently in the half court from the point of attack

  • Left-hand dominant

    • Will benefit from becoming less reliant on his strong hand, and mixing up his use of both hands

  • Uses a pound dribble technique

    • Highlights his ball control

Passing
Passing

  • A willing passer with an improved delivery and flashes of expanding vision

  • Much improved passer off the dribble. Has grown in his ability to collapse the defense and locate shooters on the perimeter.

    • Productive drive and kick passer

    • Progressing consistency with his placement to shooters

    • Often passes from two feet

    • Sees the cross-court/opposite court pass to be made and delivers it

  • Progressing at reading the defense

  • Displays the willingness to make the simple read/pass

  • Keeps the ball moving on the perimeter and is willing to make the extra pass

    • Understands how simply reversing the ball shifts the defense and starts the process of creating advantages for his team

  • Knows when to put proper zip on the pass and when to add touch on the delivery

  • Decent decision maker who has a tendency to telegraph passes on the perimeter

Defense
Defense

  • Defensive playmaker who is capable of quickly turning defense to offense

  • Active defender with impactful disruptive abilities

    • Capable of coming away with a high number of deflections

    • Length, agility, and activity can disrupt the passer’s vision, wreak havoc on ball handlers, and lead to turnovers

  • Owns versatile qualities that make him effective in various defensive positions

    • Switchable on the perimeter

    • Extremely effective at the top of full-court and half-court trapping zones

    • Capable of guarding all perimeter positions

    • Effective on back side rotations, showcasing his understanding of team defensive concepts and superb ground coverage

      • Ground coverage can sometimes leave the perception that he is everywhere at once on some possessions

      • Plays a great “center fielder”, thanks to his ground coverage and anticipation

  • Superior in the passing lanes, highlighting his anticipatory instincts, ground coverage, and attention to detail. His length doesn’t hurt either.

  • Maintains a great balance of attention between ball and man

    • Doesn’t place his team at a disadvantage by gambling excessively

    • Gambles often result with him hustling back into the play

  • Closes out a little too high, but recovers very well

  • Hustles back on defense consistently

  • Productive on the help side, where he is an effective roamer, stunt man, and secondary shot blocker

Watch him throughout the entire clip, starting on the right block

  • Gives priority to the ball

  • Shows and recovers to his man with urgency

  • Growing willingness to step in with his body and take the charge

  • Often extends coverage outside of his assigned area without getting caught out of position

  • Productive positional shot blocker

  • On-ball defense

    • Doesn’t exert heavy ball pressure out top. Instead, he remains about an arm’s length away.

      • Will apply more pressure right along the perimeter​

    • Will either extend an arm out or have both arms out to the side for activity purposes

      • Active limbs contest shots well, disrupt the vision of ball handlers and shorten passing lanes

    • Uses a wide base

    • Seeks to stay in front

    • Contests well and does so without fouling. His length is such a weapon, but when combined with his agility and intelligence, it makes for a formidable opponent.

  • Can open up too much and give way to advantageous angles, but recovers very well from behind

    • Often opens up with the intentions of timing the block from behind

  • Very good on the defensive glass. Can be extremely active.

    • Quick off his feet and aggressively pursues the ball in the air. He goes and gets it!

    • Displays exceptional judgment for where the ball is coming off the rim. Often finds himself in good position, as a result.

    • Consistently comes down with contested rebounds

    • Willing and able to find his man, make contact, and hold the block out; but typically relies on his physical tools and innate timing to come away with the board

  • Has a tendency to get into early foul trouble. Sat whole quarters in several first halves of the 8 high school games charted after picking up 2 fouls.

IQ
Basketball IQ

  • Feel for the game

    • Displays a nice feel for when to attack and when to temper his approach

      • Exhibits a strong feel for pace within the flow of the game

    • Increasing feel for space and time with the ball in his hands

      • Has an improved feel for the defender’s momentum when operating off the bounce

    • Possesses fantastic defensive instincts, especially off the ball

    • Progressing ability to make quick processing reads, with room to improve as an overall decision maker

    • Combines an expanding use of angles on the offensive end with a natural utilization of them on defense

    • Inherent anticipation and timing

    • Good overall court awareness

  • Recognizes personnel matchups and mismatches on the floor, then moves to exploit them, such as the clip below, where he catches a guard on a switch and goes right into the post

  • Plays the game with purpose; plays to win

  • Comprehends time and score

Dispostion/Presence
Disposition/Intangibles

  • Competitive, team-first player

  • Mental toughness

    • Often handles mistakes with positivity and a “get’em next time” attitude

      • Acknowledges his own mistakes

    • Plays through adversity

    • Performs well in pressure-filled environments

  • Consistently plays hard and gives solid effort on both ends

  • Typically a very even-keeled player, but will also display positive emotion

    • Facial expression and body language rarely change

  • Celebrates his teammates’ successes

  • Not afraid to engage in the occasional trash talk with the opposition

  • Contributes to winning in multiple ways, spanning both ends of the court

  • Exhibits a knack for making plays down the stretch of close games

  • A proven winner

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