VJ Edgecombe has come out with guns blazing for the Philadelphia 76ers this season. The rookie managed to quickly exceed the already lofty expectations levied on him, rapidly entrenching himself as a foundational piece for the franchise moving forward with his sensational performances night in and out.
At this rate, Edgecombe is going to be the unanimous pick for Rookie of the Year. He’s been that good, and there really is not a lot of reason to believe that he cannot sustain his current level of play. His scoring has been as good as advertised, but it is the little things that have made him such an encouraging core piece for the 76ers.
However, a lot of people have probably already gotten that there were numerous individuals — some even coming from Edgecombe’s camp — who believed that his pairing with the 76ers would be clunky. That stemmed from perceptions that Edgecombe will not get a lot of on-ball reps with this group.
Well, they were wrong.
VJ Edgecombe and the 76ers swiftly quieted their doubters
The 76ers were essentially choosing between Edgecombe and Ace Bailey before the draft, and while they eventually zeroed in on the former, there were indeed concerns about his fit with the team given that the backcourt was not necessarily lacking, and that his ball-dominant style could be better off elsewhere.
However, as it turns out, Edgecombe has been that good already to warrant more on-ball reps than expected. Even better, the 76ers have recognized that fact, and the coaching staff has tendered him full liberty to create for himself and for others as well. The result? His scoring has been a blitzkrieg, and his playmaking has improved by leaps and bounds.
Edgecombe seems destined to be a star in this league, and the fact that he is on the 76ers, which have become conducive to his rapid growth as a player by giving him the optimal opportunity to be himself, learn from his lapses, and subsequently dominate also works in his favor.
Rookies rarely command such a drastic shift of dynamic from his their new ball clubs, yet Edgecombe has managed to do exactly that. This approach is most likely here to stay, and it is most certainly nice to see Edgecombe prove his naysayers wrong right from the get go.
Ultimately, while there was good reason to those fears, they eventually ended up being unfounded, and all credit belongs to Edgecombe. While it is Philadelphia that gave him his freedom on the hardwood, he is still the one who met all expectations and then some.