As if it’s clockwork, the Philadelphia 76ers are proven right once again. This time, they have VJ Edgecombe to thank for, especially since the rookie sensation has only vindicated the franchise for pulling the plug on a previously sterling project that simply did not work out, yet it was something which a lot of people criticized them for.
The Jared McCain trade made a lot of people seriously question the front office’s desire to win, not knowing that the move was actually a savvy one in account of its timing and the fact that they found a willing buyer who would pay a good price. The other side of the coin is that the 76ers were simply that high on Edgecombe, who seems poised to make everyone forget that Philly had even installed McCain as a future cornerstone.
Edgecombe was named tournament MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge, cementing himself as one of the brightest stars in the NBA. The way his career is going, he is sure to get plenty more meaningful hardwares along the way. But most importantly, he is entrenching himself as a potential centerpiece for the 76ers in the foreseeable future.
VJ Edgecombe will make every 76ers fan forget about Jared McCain
McCain is talented — there is no arguing that. Before he went down with a season-ending injury last season, he was widely thought of as the frontrunner to win the Rookie of the Year award. However, he has simply been subpar since coming back, and there were a lot of times when it felt like the impetus for such was more than just injury-related rust.
While he struggled, the 76ers found solace in Edgecombe, who has arguably been the third-best rookie this season behind Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, who both have more prominent roles on their respective squads.
Offensively, he has emerged as a major force. While he still has issues with shot selection and decision-making, those are typical struggles for a rookie. The most important thing is he looks comfortable finding his place in the offense and in leveraging his body to finish in traffic. His three-point shot and playmaking — both major concerns about his game before the draft — have become strengths of his.
Edgecombe has also been a pretty competent defender. He is reliable in one-on-one situations, although his off-ball defense still needs a lot of patching up to do. But having said that, his activity on that end has been highly valuable.
Given these traits, the 76ers simply had a lot of reasons to move on from McCain. With Tyrese Maxey already cemented as the alpha for this franchise moving forward, there is really only one room for another high-usage guard next to the All-Star. The front office acknowledged this and shipped away the sophomore for assets, which is completely sensible to do at this juncture.
Really, the 76ers should not be faulted for that decision. After all, VJ Edgecombe is more than enough of a reason to feel comfortable about making that tough call.