Don’t Let the 76ers' Superstars Distract You From VJ Edgecombe

After a victory over the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers were all smiles and couldn’t stop praising each other.  No, this is not a sign of arrogance, but it’s the first time that the 76ers have faced another opponent, and it was just beautiful to see this new team back on the court.

One player who had a good game was VJ Edgecombe. Edgecombe played 20 minutes and scored 12 points and had seven assists on 4-9 shooting from the field. It was a small sample size, but Edgecombe felt great after the game, detailing how good it felt being out there with his teammates.

"Like I said, just glad to be back on the floor. I'm just trying to pick my spot on when to be aggressive and try to make a play for my teammates," Edgecombe said in his postgame interview. 

Edgecombe is going to play a key part on this team. He’ll have the chance to play alongside the likes of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown for the first time when the season starts. Edgecombe and Brown shared the floor in the first preseason game, and they looked to play pretty well together. 

With both of them on the floor together, they combined for 34 points and were the driving force for the team in the first half of that preseason game. Edgecombe last season was a high-intensity player who showed flashes of being a scoring nightmare. He may not have hit from the three-point line, but the opportunities are there. 

Now imagine what it'll be like when the entire starting unit is out on the floor. During the game, you saw plenty of fast break opportunities, and Edgecombe was in the thick of it all. Even when he didn’t score, he made some great plays that resulted in an assist for him.  The entire starting unit is out on the floor. During the game, you saw plenty of fast break opportunities, and Edgecombe found his spots when they were available.

Edgecombe and Brown have become extremely close in their short time together, and it showed on the floor. Remember they scored those points in just the first half alone. The kind of spacing he had with just Brown was interesting to see. This team has so much potential offensively it’s hard to put into words. As one of the top 100 players in the NBA, Edgecombe looks like he has started to learn the pace of the game, even in an exhibition game.  

Last season, Edgecombe wasn’t looking to get others involved and instead was focused on scoring. That’s to be expected when you’re a rookie, but as you progress into your career, you want to see the player mature and show that the lights aren’t too bright for him. Edgecombe showed that and more.

When the team starts the season for real against the Knicks, it’’s going to be intriguing to see just how much he has learned.