After a couple of months of NBA action, it's officially time to say that VJ Edgecombe is far from your average rookie.
After beginning his career with an incredible 34-point performance, VJ Edgecombe quickly soared to the top of the NBA's Rookie of the Year conversation, and solidified himself as one of the best players in the draft very quickly.
That said, however, following his hot start, he hit a shooting slump and dropped in rookie rankings as quickly as he rose. While it was somewhat justifiable at the time, after his recent run, he's made all of his doubters look clueless.
Over his last four games, he's scored at least 22 points in each of them and has looked like a completely different player than he did in his slump. The biggest positive is that his confidence is clearly back, as he's pulling up from beyond the arc without hesitation now. He's also once again being very assertive when driving to the basket and becoming a real problem for opposing defenses.
Additionally, though he's been a great scorer, he's been incredible as an overall player, which has made his play much more impressive. He's displayed all season how big of an impact he can have even when not scoring the ball, but now that he's becoming an elite scorer too, it's hard to find a weakness in his game.
Over his last few games, he's looked like a player who could help lead a team to championship, and paired with Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt, they could become one of the league's best duos within a couple of years.
The chemistry that they have already is off the charts and given some more time to get comfortable with each other, they could create a perfect dynamic where they become the team's "one-two punch."
The comparison has been made all season, but Edgecome truly does look like a young Dwayne Wade, which should terrify the rest of the league. For the Sixers, on the other hand, it's the best-case scenario as Embiid might only have one or two seasons left in him, and they'll need another star that they can turn to alongside Maxey.
It's very possible that we're witnessing the beginning of a historically good duo in Philadelphia, and if we are, we need to make sure to cherish it as much as possible. Embiid was the best player in the NBA just a couple of seasons ago, and now he'll likely never be that player again.
It's important that we recognize just how special Edgecombe is and not take the time that he plays in Philly for granted.