VJ Edgecombe had a fantastic rookie campaign last season, but a bigger role for him is not guaranteed. After all, the 76ers now have the most stacked roster in the league after adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown this summer. While the incoming sophomore is widely regarded as the player who will have to sacrifice the most for the team's immediate plans to win the title, he actually has a huge chance this week to convince the squad to expand his role instead.
Last year's third overall pick in the draft is set to lead Team Bahamas in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. He will be one of the more than 30 NBA players who will be participating in the offseason tourney. As the lone player from the league on his squad, he will undoubtedly be the lead guy. The American pool will be especially tough, but with Edgecombe leading them, the Bahamas should have a good shot at qualifying for the World Cup.
76ers sophomore VJ Edgecombe is set to lead Bahamas in the FIBA qualifiers
Edgecombe has been actively participating in team workout and scrimmages with the 76ers this summer, but his FIBA stint will be his first foray into competitive play this offseason. He has already played a couple of friendly matches, but it is only this week where the real games will commence. Obviously, the stakes are high for his national team to qualify for the FIBA World Cup next yearm which will be held in Qatar.
Having a lead role might just be what the doctor ordered for Edgecombe to build a strong case for a bigger role next season, despite the 76ers parading a star-studded lineup believed to be the most formidable one in the league, at least on paper.
For now, it is prudent to expect the 76ers to install Edgecombe in a more complementary role compared to last season, when he was constantly a featured option. However, there are certain workarounds to that in order to accommodate his continuous growth as a player, which the coaching staff can pursue, such as by staggering his minutes to play more with the bench squad. Still, it is crucial that Edgecombe does not lose his edge as a main cog.
Young players coming off stints with their national teams tend to have breakout campaigns in the subsequent NBA season, and there is no reason to believe that the same trope will not apply to Edgecombe. Hopefully, he will be able to seize that valuable experience that can only be extracted from his FIBA play, which could very well carry over to the 76ers as his audition piece for an expanded role instead of a shafted one.
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