Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe turned some heads in the summer league as he continued to progress towards his official NBA debut. He only played in two of the eight games as he was limited by a left thumb sprain, but Edgecombe showed why he was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.
He had 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in his summer league debut in Salt Lake City before having 14 points and two steals in a Las Vegas win over the Washington Wizards. Edgecombe showed off how lightning quick he can be with the basketball in his hands and how he can take games over in a variety of ways. The Sixers have to be excited about his future.
One NBA executive told ESPN about Edgecombe:
“VJ might be Philly’s second-best player by the end of the season, factoring in [Joel] Embiid’s uncertain health,” an Eastern Conference GM said. “He’s that good and will thrive playing in Nick Nurse’s system.”
The claim of him being Philadelphia’s second-best player by the end of the season could be tough when also considering the fact that Paul George is on the roster. While George is dealing with his own offseason surgery, the fact is he can still be an elite player in this league if he is right.
Either way, Edgecombe figures to have a bright future. His ability to contribute in a number of ways will do a lot of good things for the Sixers and he showed shades of stardom while performing in the summer league.