Ever since the turbulent departure of the elite playmaker James Harden, the Philadelphia 76ers have struggled to uncover a floor general who can effectively dictate proceedings for the team. Tyrese Maxey has significantly improved that area of his game, but he is more dangerous for his team when he is focusing on being the Sixers' most prominent scoring output. In the absence of his star teammate, VJ Edgecombe has displayed that he is capable of shouldering this role.
Currently, the Philadelphia 76ers rank 28th overall in the NBA's team standings for assists, averaging 24.5 per game. Without Joel Embiid on the floor, a high majority of the team's scoring plays have come through individual brilliance from Maxey. The Sixers have relied on the 25-year-old to run iso plays, resulting in him breezing past defenders to get to the basket or creating separation to fire off a shot from deep.
Persisting with a tactic of this nature will eventually yield poor results. It could not be more obvious that the 76ers need a more creative game plan and will inevitably need to uncover a player with the vision and passing execution to elevate their performances to the next level.
VJ Edgecombe is thriving as Philadelphia's primary ball handler
It’s been a year of growth for VJ Edgecombe, who has spent the season trying to carve out his role alongside Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George while refining his all-around skill set. Overall, the rookie has stunned fans with his spectacular levels of athleticism and improved shotmaking. However, distributing the ball to his teammates has not been a task that Edgecombe has been required to do, as he has primarily been defined as Philadelphia's fourth offensive option.
Now, with the main core of the 76ers roster being named on the team's nightly injury report, the 20-year-old is shouldering a larger playmaking role, which has paid dividends for both the player and the franchise.
Over his last four appearances, Edgecombe has averaged 6.3 assists per game, which has resulted in the 76ers winning three of these matchups. Most impressively, the athletic forward recorded 38 points and 11 assists with just one turnover in Philadelphia's most recent 139-118 victory over the Sacramento Kings, proving that his increased ball-handling responsibilities will not affect his scoring efficiency.
When his star teammates return to the starting lineup, it is unlikely that VJ Edgecombe will be trusted with such a significant role in the offense. Nevertheless, as his career progresses, the 76ers will have the option of leaning into this side of Edgecombe's game if they need to vary their offensive game plan.
One thing is for sure: this is the exact mould of player that the Philadelphia 76ers have been crying out for.