The Philadelphia 76ers will need a major leap from VJ Edgecombe this season. While the team is already teeming with talent given their new blockbuster additions this summer, the continuous development of the young guard will be highly critical for the team to be able to fully maximize the talent level they have. After all, he might just be the biggest X-factor not only on the squad, but in the entire league.
To that effect, Edgecombe appears to have unveiled a new side of himself early. During the 76ers' first preseason match against the Knicks, the sophomore racked up seven assists in just 20 minutes of gameplay. Tyrese Maxey sat the game out, so Nick Nurse trotted him out as a nominal point guard in the starting unit, and he definitely delivered as a playmaker.
The 76ers immediately see VJ Edgecombe's improvement as a playmaker
Setting his teammates up will not be the primary duty of Edgecombe this season, but this added dimension to his game is indeed a very welcome one. After all, playmaking is not something abundant on the roster, and if the 76ers can get another source of it in the young guard, that will make their offensive outlook all the more difficult to decode for opposing defenses.
Edgecombe showing that he can be a tenable point guard at times is also huge for the 76ers. After all, that would empower Nick Nurse and the coaching staff to deploy him as the featured player in certain lineups with the second-unit guys. After all, the team will be staggering the minutes of the starters as much as possible.
People are expecting Edgecombe to be a play finisher for the most part, either as a spot-up threat or a rim runner. But his continuous growth as a playmaker will ensure that the 76ers offense can remain a smooth-sailing one even when opponents double down on his more decorated teammates and force the ball to go to him.
VJ Edgecombe is on his way to stardom, and while his numbers may not necessarily reflect that next season given that the 76ers have many mouths to feed, he is out to make a formidable weapon out of himself with his leap as a playmaker. His scoring prowess and defensive acuity are already there, but his emergence as an effective passer and organizer in the half-court will give this team another element of surprise. More importantly, it will give him another hat to wear for the squad.
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