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Draft night came and went for Fuquan Edwin without hearing his name called. The Philadelphia 76ers showed interest in adding the Seton Hall graduate and reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year to their summer league roster for both the Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada sessions but no deal was done. Ultimately Edwin joined the Oklahoma City Thunder for only three of their five games in Orlando.
The results, unfortunately, were underwhelming.
Edwin managed just four points on a field goal percentage of 25 percent (2-8 FG) over a combined 22 minutes in his run with the Thunder. He did not make a start, and played the majority of his time and took all of his shots in 16 minutes against Brooklyn on July 7. He would grab his only rebound in that contest as well.
Like many undrafted rookies, it's going to be a struggle for Edwin to make an NBA roster. It does not seem that the Thunder considered him much of a candidate, considering the limited opportunities he was afforded. A training camp invite looks unlikely and in a league preoccupied with measurements, the 6-foot-6 tweener appears to be getting squeezed out of an opportunity. Edwin is a capable scorer ,but lacked the chance to develop any kind of rhythm. He may soon be faced with the decision to continue to fight for an NBA roster spot from the D-League or try his luck overseas.
One thing for sure is wherever Fuquan Edwin lands, he is going to defend. The national steals per game leader of two years ago was able to notch a steal in all three of his games with Oklahoma CIty. The defensive prowess he displayed at The Hall is his calling card and his most marketable professional skill. He may lack the speed to check NBA 2-guards or the size to match up with 3's, but his willingness to defend will guarantee him a place somewhere in professional basketball.
For the recent college graduate from the tough streets of Patterson, New Jersey, that willingness shouldn't be a problem.