Bleacher Report believes VJ Edgecombe is in the right situation for a breakout season.
The Philadelphia 76ers are in for a season of surprises. This team has been predicted to go on a generational run that leads them to an NBA title. That, or this team will have a hard time getting things in order and have a very disappointing season.
Whatever happens, there will surely be a player that has a breakout season. At least that’s how Bleacher Report sees it. The famed news outlet predicts that VJ Edgecombe will have a breakout season as they list the breakout player for each team.
It seems to be a no-brainer that Edgecombe would be the player they choose. He’s only in his second year, and he has so much room to grow. Not only that, but this is a young man who averaged 16 points a game, and he had to share the ball with Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid. Well now, he has to do the same but with a few new faces. LeBron James and Jaylen Brown will surely be involved and be operating with the ball in their hands. This could be a blessing in disguise for someone like Edgecombe.
He would be considered the fifth option on this team, and that could be the thing that helps him show up and show out. Edgecombe has been working out with James and has certainly improved his shooting during the offseason. With so many eyes on James Embiid and all the others, Edgecombe will have to be the one that gets left open, and when that happens, he’ll make defenders pay for not keeping up with him.
The way that this team will operate, Edgecombe will have plenty of opportunities to score. In fact, Maxey understands how much Edgecombe matters to this team, and he’ll make it his mission to get him some looks. Last season, Edgecombe had a breakout game in his first game against the Boston Celtics, where he scored 31 points, the third-most points ever scored in a rookie debut.
He followed that up with a career-best 38 points against the Sacramento Kings. This is what could happen with Edgecombe being the fifth option. Even better is when it comes to the playoffs; Edgecombe is no stranger to the bright lights. During the playoff series against the Celtics, he set a rookie playoff record with a double-double: 30 points and 10 rebounds.
Edgecombe is going to be an impactful player for the 76ers, no matter how it happens; just know Edgecombe will be a problem for anyone they face.
