Justin Edwards is not a man of many words, but over the last two weeks the Sixers' undrafted rookie two-way wing has been the subject of countless questions.
Edwards, 21, often keeps his responses short and sweet. But after nearly swinging a nationally-televised playoff rematch against the New York Knicks in the Sixers' direction on Wednesday night, he provided a telling glimpse into his mental journey over the last few months.
Edwards played a few minutes at the end of two blowouts across his first two-plus months as an NBA player. There was little to write home about. But then Edwards spent some time in the G League. Suddenly, he looked like the player who was a five-star recruit to Kentucky, the player who at this time last year was expected to be a first-round draft pick.
"It helped a lot, honestly," Edwards said of his stints with the Delaware Blue Coats. "It helped build my confidence. Coming here, I didn't really have a lot of confidence in myself. So playing down in 'The G' just helped me get my confidence back."
Now, Edwards' confidence is palpable when he is on the floor. Just take a look at these critical three-point shots he knocked down in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's game to help the Sixers force an overtime period:
Justin Edwards knocked down two crucial threes in the fourth quarter against the Knicks on Wednesday night. What stood out was the clear confidence he took both shots with: immediate release, zero hesitation, completely unbothered by contests. pic.twitter.com/xsGCd5U3si
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 16, 2025
"It really just comes down to the reps and the players and the coaches believing in me and just telling me to just be myself out there," Edwards said.
Edwards' teammates and coaches have been extremely impressed by the hometown kid, who was born and raised in Philadelphia. More specifically, they are surprised by how little Edwards plays like someone who is in the midst of his first ever extended run of rotation minutes for an NBA team.
After giving Edwards his first significant action earlier this month in a win over the Brooklyn Nets, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse outlined his thought process behind seeing what Edwards can give the Sixers:
"I think we need that wing presence first and foremost, just defensively and on the glass," Nurse said after Edwards leapfrogged Ricky Council IV on the depth chart. "It was really good to see him. He seems to get shots. I don't know how long that will last, but I think it's just because he's kind of in the right place and the ball finds him a little bit. Obviously, making them — that's huge if he's going to do that. But again, just that presence defensively and on the glass is kind of what we need."
Justin Edwards shows terrific awareness, crashing the glass in advance of the shot clock expiring. He works his way into perfect position for a putback layup: pic.twitter.com/9b9ZLC38qs
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 16, 2025
Nurse has raved for weeks about Edwards' ability to be in the right spot on both ends of the floor, how the ball "finds" the rookie. Nurse is one of many coaches who places significant value in the knowledge that a player will understand the nuances of their role and not try to extend beyond that niche. Dating back to the preseason, he has expressed appreciation for Edwards fitting that bill.
"Justin has done nothing but play solid the whole preseason," Nurse said after the team's penultimate preseason game. "He's played really good defensively, he's made really good decisions offensively."
Nurse has become a bit of a broken record on the subject. As Edwards continues to ascend, Nurse continues to repeat the same lines about why he is so fond of the 6-foot-6 wing.
"Again, [Edwards] doesn't make too many mistakes," Nurse said on Wednesday. "He takes the right shots and he seems to be throwing them in here every now and then, too."
Justin Edwards from three-point range in 259 minutes between the NBA and G League this season: 18-49 (36.7 percent). pic.twitter.com/gDuVhGqS05
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 16, 2025
Aside from Edwards' extremely efficient scoring efforts, he has become a reliable defensive option for Nurse, not just on the wing but against all sorts of perimeter players. In Edwards' first true NBA rotation minutes, he was summoned to defend DeMar DeRozan. He has defended an array of brilliant talents since: from Paolo Banchero to perhaps the two best on-ball scoring point guards in the NBA in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson, to Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker in the same game.
Justin Edwards picks up a driving Devin Booker and ties him up for a jump ball: pic.twitter.com/CgrAZljC8N
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 16, 2025
Nurse and his staff are asking Edwards to take some of the toughest assignments in the league as a defender, and the rookie has passed every test with flying colors.
Justin Edwards stands his ground defending Paolo Banchero on an island until Tyrese Maxey nabs a steal: pic.twitter.com/vUlt27DzMe
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 16, 2025
"I take it as a compliment [from the coaches], honestly," Edwards said. I feel like that's one of my strong suits. I feel like I can guard the ball pretty well."
In just a few weeks, Edwards went from an afterthought as the Sixers try to turn around a disastrous season to someone who could end up being directly involved if those efforts win out. He is very much on the radar right now, taking advantage of the team's many recent short-handed games and showcasing what he can do on an NBA floor.
"He's done a great job," Tyrese Maxey said. "I think the sky's the limit for him."
Naturally, NBA experience is immensely valuable for any rookie. But Edwards is not just getting to play — in recent games, he has gotten to close in high-leverage, clutch time situations against very good teams and star players. Maxey went through that when he was the Sixers' rookie out of Kentucky.
How valuable does Maxey believe that specific sort of experience can be for a player?
"Second to none, honestly. Especially when you're in that type of situation where every play matters," Maxey said. "You have to be so locked in — every single huddle, every single play. Because one little slip up can cost you a game. He's done a really good job."
Justin Edwards isn’t just getting his first consistent NBA minutes right now — he’s receiving opportunities to play in high-leverage moments against very good teams and star players as a rookie.
I asked someone who has been in that spot before how valuable the experience can be: pic.twitter.com/uzpnNDXt18— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) January 16, 2025
Edwards has been active for 20 NBA contests; this means he can be active for another 30 before his two-way contract runs out of NBA days. The team could exhaust those days before making a decision on when or if they will convert Edwards to a standard NBA contract — last season they waited as long as they could before converting Council to a standard deal right before the playoffs. But Edwards certainly looks the part of a player the Sixers would like to have locked in on a long-term, inexpensive contract.
In what has been a hellish season for the Sixers to date, even the bright spots have been dimmed: Jared McCain was the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, then suffered a season-ending meniscus injury. Guerschon Yabusele has been a massive revelation, but his play in combination with the Sixers' struggles this season and limited resources next summer have made many wonder if Yabusele will end up on the trade block in the weeks to come.
This season was not supposed to be about finding a rotation wing in the undrafted pool. But as the Sixers inch closer and closer toward finishing this season with a longer-term view in mind, giving someone like Edwards every opportunity to sink or swim would make a whole lot of sense.
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