Through four games, the Philadelphia 76ers are still undefeated. The team has managed to overcome injuries to rise to the top of the Eastern Conference in the early going. Part and parcel of their early success is their second-ranked offense, which has been electric thanks in large part to the standout play of their backcourt weapons in All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and rookie sensation VJ Edgecombe.
Edgecombe, in particular, has been a pleasant surprise for the 76ers. Of course, everyone knew that the Baylor standout would be good, but not this good –– and especially not this early. However, he has been everything people expected and then some, having already rewritten the scouting reports on him despite still getting acclimated to the league.
His three-point shooting has also emerged, and that has never really been tipped as one of his best straits coming out of college. So far, Edgecombe is shooting 45.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes this season, arming the team with an unexpected sharpshooter who has only made their scoring attack much more difficult to tame.
The 76ers struck gold with the unexpected three-point shooting of VJ Edgecombe
Right now, Philadelphia is the top three-point shooting team in the league percentage-wise while also being second in makes per game. Edgecombe has been a big part of the team's collective surge in those departments. At this juncture, he has canned 42.9 percent of his three-point tries, and his volume has been considerable, attempting exactly seven a game as of writing.
What makes this all the more impressive is that Edgecombe has not shot the three-ball particularly well during Summer League and in the preseason. The fact that he is sinking much more of them when the real games began is a testament to his rapid growth as a player.
Edgecombe is already a lethal driver to begin with, and he has also taken a significant leap as a playmaker, so his rapid development as a perimeter shooter will only make him much better in those areas and turn him into a near-unstoppable force.
Of course, it is a tad unrealistic to expect his current shooting percentage from rainbow country to hold up for an entire season. Shooters shoot, but even the best of them can find themselves in a slump here and there. However, the early signs have been very encouraging, and if this is the worst version of Edgecombe in a 76ers uniform, the league has to watch out.
Philly already had an embarrassment of riches on offense, but with Edgecombe adding his three-point shooting atop their stack of talent, it is hard to envision this 76ers team not making noise in the playoffs this season.