V.J. Edgecombe has been a massive revelation for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Many viewed Edgecombe as a solid young piece when the 76ers decided to pick him for the No. 3 overall pick of the past NBA Draft. But no one has ever imagined that he would be this instantly good for the franchise to begin the new season.
Right at his official debut, Edgecombe already made history for himself. And so far, his meteoric rise continues as he’s averaging 22.3 points, 5.8 boards, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals to help the Sixers’ red-hot 4-0 start.
Edgecombe displays a tremendous level of athleticism in approaching the game. The way he attacks is simply mesmerizing, in which Tim Legler sees some shades of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in him.
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“He has the ability to go from a very relaxed state with the ball to an accelerated state at a level like, I’m not comparing him to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but it’s some of that,” the ESPN analyst said in his recent appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast. “It’s like all of a sudden, he’s relaxed, you’re slightly relaxed defensively, and then when he decides to go, he goes. That first step, push, and acceleration is by guys, or he’s forcing you into such an overreactionary retreat. He could stop and make an 18-foot jump shot pretty easily.
“That’s the first thing. That is a special god-given innate athletic quality that’s going to create separation for him all the time.”
Having key qualities similar to the reigning league MVP is simply priceless for Edgecombe. And indeed, there is something compelling from him to watch whenever he holds the ball and is about to deliver.
It has to be noted that Gilgeous-Alexander stands as one of the best scorers in the NBA, and Philly fans can only be intrigued about how Edgecombe will have his own mark and continue to develop offensively.
The 76ers undoubtedly got a phenomenal piece in Edgecombe, who gives them enough reasons to think that this 2025-26 season will be a special one.
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