2021 NBA Draft Profile: Kessler Edwards
What if the Knicks could get a very expensive NBA archetype (a sweet-shooting two-way threat) late in the first round? Kessler Edwards might be that guy.
Position: Wing, Pepperdine University
Age: 21 (8/9/1999)
Height: 6 ft 8 in
Wingspan: 6 ft 11.25 in
Weight: 203 lbs
Strickland 2021 Big Board Rank: 23
The Sales Pitch: Armed with a funky but reliable shot, Kessler has shot 40% on almost 400 3-point attempts in college. We can debate over whether he will ever reach a Duncan Robinson, Joe Harris level, but the man can shoot. He can shoot from three. He can shoot from midrange. He can shoot at the rim. He can and will dunk. He’s strong, long, and athletic. He’s not a ball stopper. On defense, he is a stout point of attack defender and a flat out destructive off-ball defender, wiping out entire swaths of the court for offenses with his combination of instincts and athleticism. For most role players, you have to squint or hedge to really say they are a true plus on both defense and from the perimeter. With Kessler? I really mean it.
Elite Traits/Skills: Defensive positioning and processing
The Devil’s Advocate argument: It may sound like nitpicking, but if you use a first on someone who is supposed to be a 3-and-D prospect but they’re only OK at shooting, you are shooting yourself in the foot. The playoffs are full of true knockdown weapons who can pull from three off the bounce, off the catch, and off movement. Kessler can hit his funky shots in WCC games, but are teams going to worry about him in the NBA playoffs? Is he that much more useful than, say, Reggie Bullock? He’s big, but does he project to slow down Julius Randle, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Khris Middleton? If you can’t say these things with even a little certainty by age 21, then it is worth using a first on someone with more upside, or at least a role player who is a more destructive, elite shooting threat? We’re not in this to find the next Solomon Hill, after all.
The Misconceptions: He’s only a good, not great shooter. Funky motion and all, all of his indicators point toward someone who is not just a good, but a great shooter. Merely good shooters don’t knock down free throws, threes, and midrange pull-ups at elite clips.
Important numbers:
39.5% and 380: His three-year total 3P% and 3PA
88%: His junior year FT%
45% and 37%: His FG% on 2-point jump shots, and the percentage of his shots which were 2-point jump shots. Both are VERY high, and point towards not only touch and great shooting but more shot diversity — including possibly pull-up shooting
69%: His FG% at the rim as a junior
1.8%, 4.8%: His career STL% and BLK%
Knicks Fit: Seamless. He’s long and strong enough to play either wing spot, with Julius, RJ Barrett, or Obi Toppin. He has a sneaky midrange game to complement awesome shooting from three and awesome defense, making him a true big wing 3-and-D-plus threat which the Knicks lack, and which costs a pretty penny in free agency.
