Edgecombe shooting:
Great 3-point shooter off the catch. Simple, comfortable, repeatable mechanics. Shot looks the same off the catch every time. Can take it as more of a set shot or really elevate into it if there is a tight closeout. Bit of an exaggerated rhythm ball dip. Had a bit of a stiff motion at the top of his shot in high school, but he worked to make that more fluid at Baylor, and the ball comes out of his hand softly. Consistently drilled shots from distance in high school and in college. Hit 39.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s at Long Island Lutheran as a senior, per Synergy, and 47.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s as a junior. Well over 40 percent on over 200 attempts in those two years.
Made 36.3 percent of his 3s off the catch at Baylor, per Synergy. Has improved his shot prep, and that's made him more lethal off screens. Made 10 of his 21 attempts from 3 this year off screens. Off the catch, uses his pump fakes well to get defenders off-balance. Because he has that great first step, he's a constant threat to get into the paint if you don't close out under control. Really tough guard off the ball, and that ability to hit 3s off screens makes him all the tougher to deal with because it allows him to potentially catch and attack on the move.
Edgecombe’s growth during the season
Showcased growth throughout the season. Averaged 17 points over his final 21 games. Shot far better later in the season than early as he got more comfortable with the speed of the game. Hit 45.3 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from 3 over that time.
Edgecombe “on the ball”
On the ball, Edgecombe has improved over the last few years at opening those angles with his change-of-pace ability. Loves to take hang dribbles or little inside-out dribbles to freeze the defender. His hesitation moves are nasty because of that first step. Can hit the opposing defender with a quick crossover and drive off that. Has some slick one-hand gathers and showed flashes with Eurosteps into floaters, especially as the season went on. There's a lot of room for growth with his handle still, and that will determine his upside as an NBA player.
Shows flashes as a passer and playmaker but has room for growth here, too. His vision is strong, and he sees the necessary kickouts across the court. Hits creative lob looks to his rolling bigs or cutters, as well as hits cross-corner kickouts regularly.
Really showed up well in this respect at Nike Hoop Summit, where several scouts came away impressed and felt like he had potential to be a point guard down the road as his handle improves. Had some positive moments at Baylor hitting kickouts, too. Averaged 3.2 assists per game versus only two turnovers, although the turnover issue could be a bit larger in the NBA for reasons we'll break down in the next section.
Edgecombe’s handle short term
His handle isn't quite good enough right now to play as a true lead option. It is a bit rudimentary compared with NBA guards.
Not really a guy who strings together multiple moves. Can hit one quick crossover but doesn't have the largest bag of counters if defenders cut that early attempt off. His on-ball game in screens isn't that advanced yet. Has moments when he uses hang dribbles to keep his man on his hip but just hasn't had a lot of reps in these situations. Haven't seen many reps him splitting ball screens effectively. In general, just doesn't get the number of paint touches you'd expect someone of this athleticism level to get.
Struggled with teams putting two on the ball or blitzing his ball screen. I wouldn't feel particularly comfortable with him facing extremely high-level ball pressure in the backcourt possession after possession. Must improve this ability. Turned it over often against teams like Houston and St. John's that really got after the ball.
His left hand is a problem, and that extends to all facets of his game. Doesn't feel like he often uses the left as a driver other than just to cross over and get back to his right. Not as tight to the body with his left-hand dribble. Seems to sometimes lose control of the ball. Don't think he absorbs bumps on the perimeter while controlling the ball all that well when it's in his left.
And just doesn't really eat up that much space with the left. All these issues lead to self-creation questions. The athletic profile is there for Edgecombe to be a seriously gifted playmaker in these circumstances. Needs to keep getting in the gym and working, something that shouldn't be an issue given his meteoric rise. But don't expect a ready-made playmaker, either.
Edgecombe’s rim finishing issue
His game as a finisher is an issue. Made just 48.9 percent of his attempts at the rim in half-court settings for Baylor, per Synergy. Made under 45 percent as a junior in high school in half-court settings at the rim and only 52 percent as a senior.
What happens on those misses? First and foremost, Edgecombe needs to drastically improve that left hand. Is generally willing to take shots with his left, but the touch through contact doesn't quite hold up. Edgecombe's takeoff point can be too far from the rim at times. His gathers are an issue. Instead of using slow-step footwork consistently to decelerate (i.e., Eurosteps), he tends to just plant and go up. This might be where l'd recommend he spend most of his time in training over the next two years given his potential. Also think he could stand to try to go into the contact a bit more given his explosiveness.
Will at times lean away from contact and make his life harder. Has never drawn a lot of fouls. Only averaged 4.3 free-throw attempts per game this season. This comes back to his footwork on his gathers.
I came away with the impression that he can be a high impact role player now but he has some real upside for growth as an on ball scorer. I think he has a high chance to be Oladipo 2.0
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