NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock recently visited Maui, Hawaii, to evaluate the large contingent of NBA prospects participating in the 2019 Maui Invitational. Of the many prospects, two players stood out: Anthony Edwards of the Georgia Bulldogs and Obi Toppin of the Dayton Flyers. Babcock shares his experience visiting Maui in this post and his thoughts on Edwards and Toppin as NBA prospects.
I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to attend most major basketball events at some point or another. However, I had never been to the famed Maui Invitational. This past week, I finally made the trip to Maui, which did not disappoint. Although I certainly enjoyed the beautiful ocean views, warm climate, and laid-back culture, to name just a few things, I wasn't there for a vacation. I was there to check out some hoops, and let me tell you; I saw some great basketball! In a field that consisted of schools: BYU, UCLA, Chaminade, Dayton, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan State, and Virginia Tech, the tournament was stacked with future NBA players. However, of all the prospects at the Maui Invitational, two players stole the show: Anthony Edwards from Georgia and Obi Toppin from Dayton. I want to share my takeaways on each of them:
Anthony Edwards
Position: SG | Height: 6’5” | Weight: 225 | College: Georgia
Although projected to be one of the top picks in the 2020 NBA Draft, I had yet to see Anthony Edwards with my own eyes before the Maui Invitational. We had scouts who had seen him multiple times before; however, because he's rated so highly, I felt I needed to see him myself. Therefore, I decided to make the long haul to Maui to evaluate Edwards closely.
In the first game of the Maui Invitational, Georgia faced Dayton. Edwards did not play well, and Dayton beat Georgia badly. Edwards' shot selection was horrible, he did not defend well, and his basketball IQ seemed behind. It was a bit concerning, considering the lofty expectations. Still, I wanted to avoid overreacting to just one game. Luckily, there were two more days for me to evaluate him.
Michigan State was upset by Virginia Tech in the tournament's first round, meaning after a tough first day for Edwards, he and the Georgia Bulldogs would have to face the third-ranked Michigan State Spartans — making things just a little more interesting.
The following day, once the game between Georgia and Michigan State began, it was apparent that Edwards' struggles had continued. Going into halftime, Georgia trailed Michigan State by 21 points, and Edwards only scored 4 points, another poor showing. There was an elephant in the room. The room I'm referring to is the Lahaina Civic Center, a small gym filled with over thirty NBA scouts and personnel. I didn't want to say it out loud to anyone, but I certainly thought to myself, "Is Edwards overrated? Is his draft stock slipping?"
Within a minute into the second half, Edwards had an errant pass that led to a turnover. Then, he missed a three, followed by an unsuccessful drive and shot. It felt like Edwards was in quicksand, and he was sinking rapidly. It was hard to watch.
Then, finally, the tide began to turn for Edwards as he got an easy layup, followed by a pull-up three, and then another one. At this point, it was impressive that he had the mental toughness to play himself out of such a slump. Edwards began celebrating after plays, and the crowd started to get into the game more and more. This escalation continued for several minutes until it got to the point where Edwards was absolutely on fire! He made a bunch of contested pull-up threes from deep, mixed in with mid-range fadeaways, some great defensive plays, and a couple of incredible assists. Edwards had only scored an inefficient 4 points in the first half but finished that game with 37 points — 33 in the second half! He nearly brought Georgia back singlehandedly after a 21-point deficit. It was an incredible performance and maybe the best I'd ever seen with my own two eyes.
I walked away from Maui, entertained by Edwards and comfortable with the idea that he could realistically be the number one pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Despite Edwards displaying terrific resilience and talent in his performance versus Michigan State, I still think he has a lot of room for growth in learning the game, improving his shot selection and decision-making, and developing a consistent defensive motor. But after seeing his 37-point outburst in Maui, it's exciting to think about how good he could become if he addresses the above-mentioned concerns. Therefore, today, I see the 2020 NBA Draft as a three-horse race for the number one pick, including James Wiseman, Anthony Edwards, and LaMelo Ball.
Obi Toppin
Position: PF | Height: 6’9” | Weight: 220 | College: Dayton
Obi Toppin is undoubtedly a late bloomer. He was only 6'2" as a junior in high school, 6'5" as a senior, and now 6'9" as a redshirt sophomore in college. Although his physical growth trajectory has likely come to an end, his growth as a player on the court continues to blossom exponentially. His performance at the Maui Invitational last week is a perfect example.
Before my trip to Maui, I was extremely high on Toppin, perhaps higher than most, as I had him at number thirteen on the Babcock Hoops Mock Draft. I needed Toppin to step up so that I could save face. I entered the Maui Invitational eager to see if top-rated prospect Anthony Edwards was everything he was hyped up to be. Still, I was eager to confirm that my previous evaluations of Toppin were accurate.
To my satisfaction, once the game between Dayton and Georgia began, Toppin wasted no time making his presence felt as he scored 14 points in the first six minutes, scoring inside and out. With the help of Toppin's dominant play, Dayton beat Georgia 80-61. Toppin finished with 25 points — he was terrific!
He would continue his stellar play throughout the tournament, and despite being regularly double-teamed early in the championship game versus Kansas, Toppin never slowed down. Through three games in three days at the Maui Invitational, Toppin averaged 22.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting 69% from the field (25-36) and 55% from outside (6-11). Remember, these games were on a big stage versus Georgia, Virginia Tech, and Kansas, teams from the SEC, ACC, and Big 12.
Aside from Anthony Edwards' huge second half versus Michigan State, Toppin was the talk of the town among the NBA scouts in Maui. His collective performance throughout the tournament relieved my stress that I had possibly ranked him too high. However, I had a different problem now: I needed to figure out if I had him ranked high enough.
Following the tournament, I sat down to organize my thoughts. Here is how I would describe Toppins game: At 6'9" with good length and possessing elite athleticism, Toppin not only has prototypical physical attributes, but he also has the skill set to match, as he does about everything you'd want from a modern-day power forward. On the offensive end, he is a threat to score on the low block and around the rim; he is a good shooter from outside; he runs the floor and is a high flyer — pick your poison. Defensively, Toppin can utilize his athleticism and physical tools to defend multiple positions, grab rebounds, and protect the rim. To go along with these terrific skills, he has a high motor and an infectious presence on the floor, but almost as important as anything, he has a high basketball IQ — he doesn't make many mistakes and plays within himself.
Although NBA analytics departments are likely up in arms because he is already twenty-one years old compared to many of the other NBA prospects who are eighteen and nineteen years old, I don't care; I think this guy is ready to go! So, I've decided to slot Toppin as the fourth pick on the Babcock Hoops Mock Draft.
Am I right about Toppin? Only time will tell.
Until then, hang loose!