McDonald's All-American Game
My home town of Atlanta, Georgia was the site of the 2019 McDonald's All-American Game. The game was held at State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks. Practices were held at the Atlanta Hawks Beautiful practice facility and Core 4 Sports, a sports facility built, owned and operated by NBA Star Paul Millsap of the Denver Nuggets. There was also a private scrimmage game held at Wheeler High School. As you know this game was loaded with talent and I would love to talk about every single player but I would be here for days typing and this would turn into a mini-novel as opposed to a quick 4-5 minute read. So I'll highlight the best of the week, the sleeper player of the week in my opinion and it wouldn't be right if I didn't highlight Atlanta/UGA's very own Anthony Edwards.
Best Player | 6'9 245 pounds | Washington Commit |Isaiah Stewart
Isaiah is a powerful Forward/Center that does his best to dunk everything around the rim. He also has the ability to guard multiple positions on the defensive end and he crashes the boards on the offensive and defensive with reckless abandonment. He's not a great shooter from the perimeter but can knock down a 15-18 footer, which will serve him well in PnP opportunities. He competed the entire week with a heavy chip on his shoulder which in turn pushed his teammates and counterparts to step their games up as well.
Sleeper Player | 6'7 190 pounds | Louisville Commit | Samuell Williamson
Samuell is a long athletic Wing that physically fits what the modern basketball player looks like. He has long arms, with a great ability to dribble, pass, shoot, defend and rebound. The entire week he always seemed to be in the right spot, he knocked down open shots, created off the dribble and defended his butt off. I believe his upside at the next level will be off the charts.
Atlanta's Very Own | 6'4 210 pounds | Georgia Commit | Anthony Edwards
Before I begin let me start off by saying that this write up isn't simply because Anthony and I are both from Atlanta, Ga and it has nothing to do with our similar upbringing, with him growing up in Oakland City and me growing up in 4th Ward. This has more to do with the fact that he is an extremely talented basketball player with a bright future and I'm very proud to say he's from Atlanta!
Anthony is a combo guard that has a unique ability to play with power or finesse. He can shoot it off the catch or off the dribble, he can avoid contact or power through it. He is an above average passer and locks up on the defensive end. His week didn't start off so great, in first practice he struggled to shoot the ball from the perimeter, he appeared to be pressing a bit but the great thing about Anthony is he always competes which made up for the lack of shot making and allowed him to still make an impact overall. He steadily improved at every practice that followed and by the time the scrimmage started he was the best player on the court. He was knocking down pull-up 3's, got out in transition for dunks, created off the dribble to get into the lane and found his teammates for easy layup and dunks. The next day in the official game it was much of the same.
Overall, the talent level in this game was unquestionable, all the kids competed hard. Although this was my first time attending the behind the sense festivities the word the national media and NBA scout was this was the most competitive group of McDonald's All-Americans in a long time. I look forward to following the careers of all the players who participated and wish them all much success. Until next time........