VJ Edgecombe has done everything the Philadelphia 76ers expected when they drafted him third overall last year and then some.
In 68 games, the rookie guard has averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 43.6% from the field and 36% from deep. Edgecombe has not only been a really good player for the 76ers, but his performances have been crucial to their playoff aspirations.
The Bahamas native is a big part of Philadelphia's success right now, and he's going to be a big part of its success moving forward. He makes an impact in every area of the game, and at just 20 years old, he should get even better from here on out.
Everybody is well aware of how well Edgecombe has played this season. He's going to get Rookie of the Year acknowledgement and is practically guaranteed a spot on the All-Rookie First Team. But the stats indicate that he may be one of the best rookies the league has seen this past decade. And the rest of the NBA better watch out moving forward.
VJ Edgecombe has been incredible this season
In a recent episode of the "Slam N Jam" podcast, The Athletic's Alex Speers pointed out that Edgecombe is one of just four rookies in the past 10 years to have a statline of 16 PPG, 5 RPG, and 4 APG (Cooper Flagg, Cade Cunningham, and Luka Doncic).
"Edgecombe is currently averaging, for the season, 16, 5, and 4. Now, that might just sound like a basic statline. That's not exciting. But if you look over the past decade, the only rookies to match that 16-5-4: Cooper Flagg, Cade Cunningham, [and] Luka Doncic. That's it. ... The point remains that this sort of production from a rookie is rare, and what really sticks out historically is his rebounding at his size," Speers said.
This stat is a bit flawed because, as Speers mentioned, the next player on the list is Michael Carter-Williams (who 76ers fans should know very well, for one reason or another). But at least he won Rookie of the Year back in 2014 and was mostly solid during his run in Philadelphia.
Regardless, it's a testament to Edgecombe's all-around game and how valuable he is now and will be in the future.
Flagg, who has mostly lived up to his monstrous pre-draft hype despite a slow start to his NBA career, is a legitimate candidate to bring home the Rookie of the Year award this year. Cunningham had a fantastic rookie season (finished third in ROY voting) and has only gotten better. And Doncic is one of the greatest offensive players the game has ever seen and is a perennial MVP candidate.
This is good company for Edgecombe to be in. His future is bright, and at this rate, there's no telling what his ceiling in Philadelphia looks like.