The Philadelphia 76ers are rightfully excited for the first foray of rookie VJ Edgecombe into the NBA hardwood next season. After showing off in spectacular fashion in his couple of Summer League stints, both the team and the fanbase are raring to see how his already fluid game will translate into the big league.
Edgecombe’s specific role next season remains to be seen, but he will most definitely be one of Nick Nurse’s trusted guys, especially when it comes to the scoring end. He is already way ahead of most of his peers as a three-level scorer, and his additional strengths on defense fortifies his case as a potential franchise cornerstone in the future.
The Baylor standout will be sharing the backcourt with the likes of Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and presumably Quentin Grimes, arming the 76ers with arguably the deepest guard rotation in the entire association. Edgecombe will be a huge part of that even as a rookie, and to make the deal sweeter, he will be able to learn first-hand from those players and also from veterans like Kyle Lowry and fellow Bahamian Eric Gordon.
Having said all of that, fans certainly hope that a specific situation does not befall the highly touted rookie.
76ers fans should hope that VJ Edgecombe gets a prominent role next season
Edgecombe would normally be a surefire starter for any NBA team in need of a starting shooting guard. But in Philadelphia’s case, the coaching staff has a litany of options including the rookie, although the stylings of Nick Nurse make that a bit trickier to envision.
Nurse has long been one to prefer inserting more veteran options to fill gaps in the starting unit. Last season, he started the year off opening games with Gordon as the 2-man. While that did not last very long, he could the same next season and start someone like Grimes.
Now, starting Grimes would not be a terrible idea in the slightest. The 76ers are built to win now, and the 25-year-old may be an even better fit than Edgecombe when taking everything in consideration. Yet for both the short and long term, it would be best to allow Edgecombe to unleash his game right from the get-go while also allowing him to become comfortable playing second or third fiddle to boost his off-ball utility.
Training camp will give the coaching staff a clearer idea on who to start next to Maxey, but for now, the most likely bet is that the 76ers will ese VJ Edgecombe into the NBA by having him man the primary scoring role off the bench together with one of Quentin Grimes and Jared McCain.