Rookie-scale deals are always among the best value contracts in the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers have one of those in VJ Edgecombe, who has been one of the best freshmen in the league. And now, he is giving the team a problem which all other ball clubs in the league would love to deal with given his huge impact on the squad.
Edgecombe is a lock for the All-Rookie First Team while also being a candidate for Rookie of the Year. Obviously, the only way for him is up, and the 76ers have every reason to start changing their dynamics, especially on the offensive end, to cater to his rapid growth as a budding star in the league. That will forcibly create a dilemma atop the pecking order, although the team would certainly want that.
Right now, Philly is still heavily reliant on Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid to lift them on the scoring end. Paul George has taken a backseat, but those two are still the heavy hitters on the squad. That could be disrupted next season, though, when Edgecombe starts to hunt more shots for himself. Ordinarily, that could give rise to some conflicts and role confusion, but spreading the wealth will especially benefit this team.
The 76ers will love having this problem thanks to VJ Edgecombe
For one, Embiid badly needs to have his role minimized as much as practicable. He is still among the most unstoppable players in the league in one-on-one situations, but it is apparent that the 76ers will benefit in a huge way if they start learning how to play without the former MVP or with him playing in a more controlled dosage.
Edgecombe will allow them to do just that. His efficiency as a rookie has not been lofty enough to challenge the current status quo as to Embiid's usage, but as he gets better, the 76ers will have more reason to start installing him atop the hierarchy as one of their featured scorers.
Maxey will also see some benefits when his shot attempts go down even by just a little. Edgecombe should be good enough to warrant more attention on the defensive end, which will free things up for Maxey and allow him to likewise be more efficient without necessarily hoisting up more shots.
With the current stars now sidelined due to numerous injuries, VJ Edgecombe now has a shot to prove that he should be entitled to a bigger slice of the pie next season on the offensive end. Hopefully, he can produce solid numbers so as to generate positive momentum moving forward for the 76ers.