Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe had a fantastic start to his rookie campaign this season. But, even though he is still playing some fantastic basketball, his performances have taken a hit. And on a recent episode of "The Zach Lowe Show," Mo Dakhil of NBATV said he thinks the Baylor alum has hit a "rookie wall."
"VJ Edgecombe has kind of hit a little bit of that rookie wall. ... He's playing his [expletive] off, but it's not as productive as it was, I think, to start the year," Dakhil said.
Has VJ Edgecombe hit a rookie wall?
Statistically, a little bit. Edgecombe has been incredible throughout the entire season, but there has been a bit of a drop-off.
In his first 30 games of the season, he averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 43.2% from the field and 38.7% from deep. And in his following 27 games, he has averaged 14 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 42.1% from the field and 32.9% from beyond the arc.
Most notably, Edgecombe's efficiency has dipped, and his defense has taken a bit of a step back at times. But has he hit a rookie wall? Maybe slightly, but it's far from a concern.
The Bahamas native is going to earn a ton of votes for this year's Rookie of the Year award. To call it like it is, he's probably not going to win it because of how incredible Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel has been, but he is still putting together a fantastic season regardless.
Even if his numbers have dipped a little bit, Edgecombe has done enough this season for the team and fanbase to feel confident that this is just a temporary slip and that he will bounce back sooner than later.
VJ Edgecombe is crucial to the 76ers' success
Rookie wall or not, a lot of pressure will be on Edgecombe to deliver for the rest of the season.
With a little over a month remaining, Philadelphia is 33-28 and currently owns the No. 6 seed in the East. However, the team is just 6.5 games behind the No. 3 seed New York Knicks and 6.5 games ahead of the No. 11 seed Milwaukee Bucks.
Barring something crazy, the 76ers are going to at least be a Play-In team this year, but they also have an opportunity to end the season on a high note and solidify themselves as a legitimate contender in a wide-open Eastern Conference. For that to happen, though, they need everybody to bring their A-game, and that includes Edgecombe.
The 20-year-old has played a big role for the 76ers this season, and that's not going to change once the playoffs come around. And as Philadelphia looks to make a deep playoff run, Edgecombe is a player worth monitoring.