It would be understandable if Justin Edwards felt compelled to pinch himself at any point over the last few months.
Edwards was a high school student in Philadelphia two years ago. Now, the Imhotep Charter product is not just playing for his hometown Sixers, but routinely finding himself matched up against the best basketball players in the world as one of the defensive aces of an NBA team.
In the last three months, Edwards has gone from an undrafted lottery ticket on a two-way contract to a fringe rotation player to a consistent, all-around contributor on the wing, earning a standard NBA contract in the process.His strongest skill at this juncture is clearly defending; the 21-year-old can guard across the positional spectrum thanks to a strong frame, long wingspan and good quickness. Edwards has displayed the requisite feel for the game to earn the trust of his coaching staff to take on some of the toughest assignments the NBA has to offer. In just a few months as a rotation player, Edwards has assembled quite a list of players he has gone up against.
Edwards spoke with PhillyVoice on Sunday night about the expanding rolodex of premiere names he has defended -- a list which ranges from superstars like 6-foot-2 Jalen Brunson to ones such as 6-foot-11 Kevin Durant. Durant, Edwards said, is his personal favorite assignment to date.At what point did he stop experiencing moments in which he marveled at the superstars he was being asked to defend and typically holding his own against?
"Neverhadthose," Edwards said. "Justbecausethat'swhatIwanttodo.Iwanttoplay.So Idon'treallyhavethosethoughts.Maybeafterthegame,I'mlike, ‘Yeah,Ijustguardedthoseguys.’"
It was an unsurprising response from Edwards, whose composure on the floor is matched by a calm demeanor outside of basketball. Edwards understands and acknowledges the extremity of his rise since the beginning of the calendar year, but comes off as genuine that he always figured he would find a way to this point eventually. Even when Edwards' lone collegiate season at Kentucky was a disappointment after he was ranked one of the top high school recruits in the country, he found a way to regain that confidence.
The Durant matchup helped Edwards digest a particularly valuable lesson, one which Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said he has been impressed seeing Edwards absorb so quickly and hasbeen vital to Edwards' development.
"Idon'tthinkhegetsembarrassedatall,anyofthatkindofstuff," Nurse said. "Itisgreatexperienceforhimtoguardtheseguys,fightthroughalltheactions,doallthisstuff,getscoredon, andthenpullhissocksupthenexttimedownandtrytogoathimagain.Ireallyseesomedeterminationfromhimandnotalotofdiscouragement. That’sthewayyou’vegottodoit.Theseguysthatarereallygreataregoingtoscorebasketsinthisleague.Andyou’vejustgottokindofshortenyour memoryandforgetaboutitanddiginandgotoworkagain. AndIthinkhe'sgotthatattitude."
Edwards admitted that at first, he struggled grasping this. He grew disappointed when a solid defensive stand would end with a heavy contest and the shot would go in regardless. Durant may make defenders feel that way more than any player in recent NBA history. Naturally, he got Edwards:
"That’s something that I’ve had to work on these past couple months," Edwards said. "A couple months back, guys were scoring on me but I was playing good defense. I was getting frustrated. I came to realize those guys, they get paid a lot of money to do stuff like that, so I just do what I can do best on the defensive end."
Edwards got up to speed quickly, learning this harsh reality of defending in the NBA. It has aided him quite a bit. Nurse and his staff have played a critical role in helping Edwards understand that only so much is in his control. The only things he can worry about are those controllable aspects of the game, and after that, he must simply let the chips fall where they may.
Not fearing some sort of humiliation can go a long way for a defensive player. Instead of ensuring he is not on the wrong end of a viral social media clip, Edwards is entirely locked in on doing whatever he can to get a stop. It may lead to a poster dunk or ankle-breaking crossover down the line (none of those have occurred to date), but it will prevent a whole lot of baskets in the long run.
"The experience has been fun," Edwards said. "I'm a rookie, and the coaches believe in me to guard the other team's best players. I take that as a compliment, because they believe in my ability to defend."
Trust is a two-way street, and while the coaching staff has entrusted Edwards with countless high-difficulty responsibilities, Edwards also has faith that Nurse, lead defensive assistant coach Bryan Gates and co. are steering him in the right direction.
"They’re just telling me to continue doing what I’m doing," Edwards said. "B-Gates is one of the main guys that I watch film with. He tells me the way I contest shots is really helpful, it’s a game-changer for us because I'm long, so I use my length and kind of disrupt guys’ shots."
In January, one of Edwards' most helpful teammates, Tyrese Maxey, remembered a time when he was a rookie being thrown into the fire. The most valuable aspect of playing in high-leverage situations or playing against elite opponents, thefellow Kentucky Wildcatsaid, was being forced to learn the incredible attention to detail necessary to compete at that level.
"You have to be so locked in, every single huddle, every single play," Maxey said. "One little slip-up can cost you a game."
Edwards, however, had a different answer to the same question. Edwards knows that his continued defensive production will generate continued opportunities to play. That, he said, is how all of this is going to help him the most.
"It'll help me stay on the court," Edwards said. "I feel like if you want to play, you've got to do the little stuff, and I think one of the main things I can do at my best is to play defense. So if I continue to play defense, I'll continue to play."
Nurse raved about the maturity Edwards has shown this season, something he even highlighted as far back as during the preseason. On Sunday, Nurse commended Edwards' ability to stay cool during high-pressure situations, ones which would understandably rattle many undrafted rookies.
"The big thing is he's going to go out there and give everything he has," Nurse said. "And he's not backing down at all."
Edwards' maturity has played a central role in his ability to undergo such a significant blossoming as a rookie. Instead of needing years to work on his mental makeup to get him prepared to be able to handle significant on-court responsibilities, the Sixers only needed a few weeks to get Edwards ready.
"The biggest thing that I like about him is his willingness, want to and talent to defend," Nurse said. "He's a big wing player and everybody talks about needing wing players... We work on a lot of film with him. We just keep at it with him to study the game and study the personnel and study the schemes and all of that kind of stuff. And he's been really good, like, really mature about it."
Even if Edwards' tranquil nature does not enable him to bask in the strong early impression he has made and the importance it holds for his long-term outlook, the hometown kid can appreciate the enormity of what he has accomplished relative to expectations. Naturally, he expressed that sentiment -- and his next steps -- as quickly as possible.
"I’m just going to continue doing what I’m doing," Edwards concluded with a smile.
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