The Athletic: VJ Edgecombe has star potential. The 76ers need him to speed up his timeline

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DETROIT — VJ Edgecombe has an opportunity to be a star within the NBA.

That a lot has been established in his rookie season. The athleticism displayed by the Philadelphia 76ers capturing guard is uncommon. His skill to get to the basket off the dribble and to play to completely different spots on the ground bodes properly for his development. His maturity lies his years. His confidence quietly matches the width of his potential.

In an ideal world, Edgecombe could be allowed to blossom at his personal tempo. He ought to be allowed an offseason, or two, to add to his recreation and for his physique and talent set to discover its rhythm. But on this league, a lot of what occurs with a profession has to do with circumstance.

To put it mildly, the 76ers are teetering. They are injured, nearly past perception. And they need Edgecombe to develop up quick. Like a latch-key child, Edgecombe is being requested to tackle added accountability. If the Sixers (35-31) are going to maintain onto a playoff spot, they need Edgecombe to develop into an offensive engine.

“I just want to win, and I just want to do the things that allow my team to win,” Edgecombe advised TheAthletic. “If that means my team needs me to take more shots, I’m ready for that. But, mainly, I just need to do the things that my teams need me to do.”

Philadelphia’s state of affairs is a precarious one. The 76ers are lacking star middle Joel Embiid, who has an indirect pressure. They are lacking star guard Tyrese Maxey, who has tendon harm within the pinky finger of his capturing hand. They are lacking Paul George, who’s serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s drug coverage. They are lacking Kelly Oubre Jr., who sprained an elbow. And on Thursday night time, they have been lacking Adem Bona and Andre Drummond, each of whom had again spasms.

Their 131-109 loss to the Detroit Pistons dropped them to the No. 9 seed within the Eastern Conference. Last week at the moment, they have been within the sixth spot. They are attempting to maintain a roster along with a number of guys who weren’t even on the staff a month in the past. They are attempting to maintain themselves inside shouting distance of the No. 6 seed and the assured playoff berth that comes with it.

Embiid shall be evaluated on Friday. But if he would not come again this weekend — the remainder of the accidents exterior of Bona and Drummond are longer-term illnesses — Edgecombe is abruptly Philadelphia’s finest participant accessible. Two years in the past, Edgecombe was enjoying highschool basketball at Long Island Lutheran in New York. Last yr, Edgecombe was within the Big 12 Conference, getting ready for the NCAA Tournament as a freshman at Baylor. This March, he could be the participant the Sixers are relying on to maintain them afloat.

“I think we’re trying to figure out what that looks like,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse mentioned. “Obviously, he’s going to have to score. I think he sparked us the other night (in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies) and got into the flow of the game the other night. He got everyone going with his defense and all of the things that he brings on the floor.”

What the Sixers are asking from Edgecombe is troublesome. For a lot of this season, he is thrived off the eye paid to Maxey, Embiid and others. He’s gotten out in transition for straightforward baskets. He’s made the open photographs which have come his manner.

The flashes he is proven at instances have folks imagining what he could possibly be. He began his profession with 34 factors within the season-opening highway win over the Boston Celtics. He’s proven he can carry lineups over a string of second-unit minutes. His athleticism, coupled with his explosion off the dribble, has yielded particular moments. He ought to be a lock for first-team All-Rookie. He will in all probability end third or fourth in Rookie of the Year voting.

But the 76ers need him to develop up quick. And that’s going to take some adjustment. He’s used to end performs. Now he has to begin them. He’s used to feeding off the gravity created by Maxey. Now he has to create the gravity for himself and others. He’s used to being guarded by the second- or third-best perimeter defender on the opposing staff. Now he’ll be guarded by the very best defender.

Thursday night time’s loss at Detroit, on this sense, turned a studying second for Edgecombe. I’ve scored 10 factors. I shot simply 3-of-14 from the sector. He missed all 5 of his 3-point makes an attempt. It was an introduction to what the world of elevated defensive consideration has in retailer. Detroit made a degree to ship further defensive our bodies on his drives into the paint. He by no means bought right into a rhythm with his jumper. Offense turned a chore for him, as the sport bought away from the 76ers for good within the third quarter.

If there’s excellent news, it is that Edgecombe bought to his spots for many of the recreation. It’s simply that I’ve missed a whole lot of attractiveness.

Because of the accidents, the 76ers are enjoying with guys who have not been in the identical lineup collectively. It’s like a staff re-learning itself on the fly. That’s not a fantastic recipe for successful video games in March and April, when most successful groups are aiming to peak.

It’s a staff making an attempt to win. It’s a staff pondering if it could possibly simply get to the playoffs wholesome and entire, it is going to have a shot to do some harm. But it is also a staff that would slide so far as the tenth spot within the East, which might make merely qualifying for the playoffs a chore. As lengthy as Philadelphia is lacking the majority of its finest gamers, Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and Cameron Payne could have to maintain the staff afloat.

“There will be ups and downs,” Edgecombe mentioned. “I have to take the downs with the ups. But I have to stay the course.”

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Tony Jones is a Staff Writer at The Athletic masking the Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA. A local of the East Coast and a journalism brat as a toddler, he has an dependancy to hip-hop music and pickup basketball, and his Twitter web page has been used for infrequent debates regarding Biggie and Tupac. Follow Tony on Twitter @Tjonesonthenba