No One is Talking About This... (But You Should...)

There is a ton of talent on this Philadelphia 76ers roster with headliners like LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jalen Brown stealing the spotlight. But do not let Vijay Edgecombe get lost in the shuffle as he continues to emerge as such a critical component of the Sixers team. I do want to highlight the recent impressive stretch of play from Edgecombe directly, why the narrative got completely shifted this summer with some of the takes men rolling out how he needs to force a trade or he's going to take a backseat or this is harmful for his development. or a ton of other nonsense that was pushed on us by the likes of Kendrick Perkins and company. I want to talk about Vijay Edgecombe directly, what he's bringing to the Sixers team, who has come alive with over the last four games posting averages of 12.0 points per game, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, shooting 38% from beyond the three-point arc, and the rebounding is something that I think is especially critical to the Sixers team. We've talked a lot about how large of a concern that is, given the sort of limiting physical effects of Joel Embiid and the lack of other rebounding options. Well, Vijay Edgecombe has taken that responsibility. responsibility on himself. He always was a guy that had a good nose for rebounding for his size. The athleticism absolutely pops off the screen and the dude's just getting it beyond that. It's tough to see a guy this young, this talented with just the straight up guts that he has. He wants the ball in big moments and has delivered for this Sixers team. We're going to continue to see that put on display as teams are going to have to pick their poison with the Sixers team. You cannot cover everyone and Edgecombe is oftentimes going to find himself being the man left open. And I feel pretty good about the equation from the Sixers perspective. Now, to circle back to the rebounding point, I do want to pull up this article from Metro Philly, which I do think does a nice job articulating it. Shout out to Zach Shavilella and all the fellows over there. And the article states, his ability and passion for rebounding are rare for his size and reminiscent of Knicks guard Josh Hart, who proved vital in the team's championship pursuit. Quote, I'm a guy that just does whatever I got to do, especially to win. I want a team full of talent, obviously. That said, I'm still finding my ways. When everything clicks, I think I can average about eight rebounds just because my team blocking out me going to get the ball. Edgecombe has more offensive upside than Hart, but that only makes their similarities even more encouraging for Philadelphia. The passion and determination of a role player mixed with the skill and confidence of a star is the formula that defines Edgecombe as a player. He's only in his second season, but it's clear that the Sixers have a budding young star on their hands. Between the national attention Philadelphia has received this season and Edgecombe's capacity for late-game heroics, it likely won't be long before the rest of the league recognizes what Sixers already know. VJ Edgecombe is a winner, and I think this is perfectly stated right there and sums it up in a major way. I also do not want it to get lost that VJ Edgecombe is a star hiding in plain sight, man. I understand that he's going to take a statistical backseat this year. When there are so many mouths to feed. So many guys that are going to headline the production. But only expect in the long term for this to accelerate who this guy can be as a player. Think about how insane it is for a guy like VJ Edgecombe. Who LeBron James was in the NBA before he was born. This was a player he grew up watching. The greatest player of all time. And it's pretty cool sort of this bromance that we're seeing budding between LeBron and him. When VJ hits the shot, it's LeBron the first guy off the bench. Flying there, cheering him on. You see the handshake. You see the way they're goofing around pretty game. It just absolutely rules that this is the dynamic. in the relationship and makes it look all the more silly how people were stating this off-season about his potential frustrations and his agents can be upset. VJ Edgecombe wants to win, man. He is wired the right way. That's a major reason why they elected to draft him with the third overall pick. Let's not forget and rewind to the whole Ace Bailey versus Edgecombe debate. The final takeaway and what was really the deciding factor. Edgecombe's a guy that's just wired the way you want. He wants to win. He wants to compete hard. He does not have an ounce of selfishness in him, and that's why he's such a critical part of the Sixers team. Now, speaking about his shooting overall, there have been some lulls, I would say, to start the season, and this was a little bit of a concern coming out of college. He was a good, not great shooter at Baylor, certainly a guy who was more defined by his athletic traits. His defense, his ability to attack the basket, and it hasn't exactly come at an awesome rate to start the year. And VJ was asked a little bit about his shooting, and in particular, the big shot that he said, frankly, in back-to-back games against the Knicks and the Hornets. But coming after the Knicks game, he said, quote, I need to have them go in in the first quarter. I haven't been making a lot of threes, but they're going to fall. I'm going to keep shooting the ball. And mind you, when he did hit the dagger against the Hornets, an even greater quote for VJ is he said, to be honest, I owed the team that. I was having a rough game. Everything was short. Missing a lot. It was getting beat defensively. I was trying to get the ball back to Tyrese. I wasn't making them. The team trusts me. They trust me in the clutch. Obviously, I trust myself. And it is ridiculous to see this level of composure, guts, just willingness to step in the spotlight and deliver that he's had since he came to the league. Let's not forget that this dude is dropping 30-plus points in his NBA debut. He's going toe-for-toe in the playoffs with teams like the Boston Celtics. He is not afraid of the spotlight, not afraid of the moment. And I do think if we were to look ahead to six or seven years down the line, the franchise is in pretty good hands with B.J. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey as the clear focal points of the team Now, granted, for the time being, he's going to have to continue embracing this dirty work type role, and I have a complete confidence that that will be the case. Frankly, it is going to be a difference making sort of role on the Sixers team. You have so many high level scorers, so many talented all-star caliber players. You need a guy to buy in and do that, and VJ is showing every bit the level of commitment to that. When speaking about sort of the nonsense that I am referring to, we got this quote from Kendrick Perkins last week that I think was one of the focal conversationalists, I would say, about his role in the offseason. And the quote that Perkins said, this coming on October 31st, so just two days ago at this point, at the point of recording, quote, VJ Edgecombe has lost his way offensively and has not been involved. You know the way that they can get him involved? Bring him in with the second unit so you can have the ball in his hands and so that he can get loose so you won't stunt his growth. This is about as idiotic of a quote I can say, and here's why it's the case. For starters, there is no need for more offensive punch within the starting lineup. What is the benefit of having Anthony Simons as a guy that's going to space the floor or launch catch-and-shoot threes when you can have a guy like VJ Edgecombe be capable of strapping up on the other side of the floor? Defense is far more important for that role when you're talking about balancing a team who have guys that can fill it up. Tyrese Maxey, firmly in the MVP conversation the way that he started. We'll be way more right back. Joel Embiid can't go tonight. LeBron James taking a rest management day. There will be nights where Vijay Edgecombe is required to fill it up and take a more head-on offensive role. That is not what the job description states for him right now, and that is completely fine. He is going to benefit more than anyone about just learning the way you go about your process. And the fact that he's just so clearly sticking to LeBron James in a way that there is no guy that's shown a greater commitment and had a greater success in that specific category. It speaks volumes to who Vijay Edgecombe is as a personality and the effects that I do think this will leave for years to come. This dude's got it between the ears and that is the most important thing you can say about a kid who hasn't even turned 22 yet. So shout out to Vijay Edgecombe for buying in. I'm a little sick of all the noise that kind of bled into this offseason about he's going to be the guy that takes a back seat He's vital, but he's a major X factor on this team. You can talk all you want about the focal points of the stars from an offensive perspective. The connective tissue of the Philadelphia 76ers is very much VJ Edgecombe, and do not let that get lost in the process for any extent. There's other glue guys on this team. Dean Wade certainly playing a major role, an assist a game the other night, shout out to Dean Wade for that. Anthony Simon, certainly Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a guy who can pick up defensively, make the right reads within the flow of offense. But to have the level of talent that Vijay Edgecombe possesses and the mentality to be willing to... Just sacrifice and do whatever the team needs. That is a special, special human being and basketball player, man. Could not be more proud. One of the most likable guys in the league. Frankly, it does not get, you do not find a more likable backcourt than Vijay Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey directly. And add that to the fact that these guys are straight up hoopers as well. It's a pretty awesome combination right there. So Vijay Edgecomb, shout out to you, man. Shout out to you for buying in. I think people are starting to, you know, see their mind changed a little bit on the perception coming into the year. But the Sixers team will not reach their peak without him a major part of the equation. And I think he's only scratching the surface for what exactly that is going to look like. So shout out to you guys for tuning in to this video here. It is high spirits in the Sixers world. Another matchup against the Chicago Bulls tonight. We'll be breaking down all the action from start to finish here on Sixers Digest. So appreciate you guys for rocking with me today. If you have not already, make sure you smash the subscribe button to the channel here on Sixers Digest. Give us a like on this video, your thoughts below, and I'll be back talking to you next time. Peace.