Among their current starting five, VJ Edgecombe is the least decorated player the Philadelphia 76ers have. While the team has two former MVPs, a Finals MVP, and an All-NBA guard, the incoming sophomore is only just beginning to scratch the surface of the player he can be. Still, that appears to have no chilling effect on him imposing and asserting himself on this team. Simply put, he is not acting his age the way his peers typically do.
Edgecombe is definitely taking up a lot of space in the sphere of leadership on the new-look 76ers. He said that it is important for him to make his voice heard, and that he will not live for people trying to lessen his voice. Well, he is surely making earnest efforts to take on the mantle as one of the lead voices on this loaded squad.
VJ Edgecombe is already asserting his voice as a leader for the 76ers
Technically, Edgecombe does not even have to do any kind of lifting for the 76ers. While the team will still rely on him to be a major part of their lethal scoring attack and their shifty defensive schemes, being one of their leaders is actually a task that is more naturally incumbent upon the likes of LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown.
Well, Edgecombe himself does not agree. While he is one of the youngest players on the roster, that is not preventing him from having a bigger say on things. Just recently, he was not afraid to call out LeBron on a blown defensive assignment during practice, according to The Inquirer. Given James' gravitas, that is simply not something that most young players have the audacity to even dare to do.
The sophomore also took a big step in helping the chemistry among the starters brew faster by initiating a group chat. It was his own idea, and apparently, he even had Maxey add James therein by his own bidding. That takes serious initiative to pull off.
The 76ers have been consistent in depicting Edgecombe as someone who is way wiser beyond his years. True enough, that is one of his clearest strengths even when he was a rookie. Now, even with a couple more stars surrounding him, he does not seem to get fazed by that fact and is still holding not only himself, but also his teammates to high standards. That has to be very reassuring for the franchise given that he is a foundational building block for the future.
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