A look at Houston Rockets draft pick Vincent Edwards

The Rockets got the opportunity to select two players from the second round this year. After trading to the 52nd pick, the Rockets selected a certain forward from Purdue.

The Houston Rockets had an all-around successful draft. While they didn’t get to trade into the first round like they may have wanted to do, they still got out with two great players.

Vincent Edwards was someone that the Rockets traded cash to the Utah Jazz to select at No. 52 in the draft. He is a four-year forward from Purdue that is coming off a solid career, capped off by Second Team All-Big 10 selection this past year.

As someone you may not have heard of before this selection, we are here to help! Take a look at the strengths and flaws of Vincent Edwards, the prospect that Daryl Morey says is “more ready” to contribute right away.

Let’s begin!

Strengths

Vince is definitely the better shooter of the two prospects the Rockets picked up in the draft. He hovered around 40% shooting from downtown over his four years at Purdue, including a ridiculous 42.6% during his junior year. He also took around 3-4 shots from deep during his college career.

He will likely be a small forward at the NBA level, but at 6’7-6’8 and 220 lbs he should be able to slide down in small ball lineups for the Rockets and stretch the floor. Edwards’s rebounding increased greatly his senior year, from 4.9 to 7.4 of them per game.

He also around 3 assists per game last year as a non-primary ball handler. He has the potential to be a good playmaker in the NBA.

Flaws

While his free throw percentage is a plus (83.3%) last year, Vince doesn’t nearly get to the line very often. He attempts 7 shots inside the 3-point line per game yet attempts just 3.4 free throws a night. He finishes some great dunks but might need to focus on drawing a bit more contact.

Edwards also is a decent defender, but not a great one. At times, he can be a bit lost on the defensive end. The Rockets are great on that end and with some help from Jeff Bzdelik, he could get better there.

Next: A look at De'Anthony Melton

The Rockets got a good one with Vincent Edwards. He should be able to help right away in the perfect system for his game!