The Philadelphia 76ers have arguably had one of the best offseasons of any team in the NBA in recent years. Although the 76ers were already viewed as a competitive unit featuring the trio of Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid, Philadelphia took things a step further by adding Jaylen Brown and LeBron James.
Signing LeBron James to a two-year, $8 million deal was effectively the icing on the cake for the 76ers’ summer. Having signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shortly after, the team also bolstered its backcourt depth, effectively emerging as one of the best rosters on paper.
For all intents and purposes, these are increasingly promising developments for the 76ers. However, there is bound to be a trade-off. With two high-usage superstars coming on board, someone is bound to suffer, and according to Draymond Green, it is likely to be V.J. Edgecombe. While discussing the 76ers’ summer signings on “The Draymond Green Show,” Green shared:
“V.J. Edgecombe, you’ve now got to guard the No. 1 best guard, like, every night. That’s your responsibility. So, that’s going to require some sacrifice. That’s going to require some ‘buy-in’ from the young fella.
“Young fella had a great rookie year. He’s coming back into his second year thinking, like, ‘Yo, this is my chance to take that jump.’ He’s going to be a fifth option. If you look at the biggest losers in this situation, it’s arguably V.J. Edgecombe.”
As Green mentioned, last year was a phenomenal year for V.J. Edgecombe. After asserting himself as an elite talent early on, Edgecombe built his case over the course of the season to be considered a vital part of the rotation and a future star.
Although the potential was visible, the 76ers’ approach to adding superstars this offseason could hurt the young guard’s development, especially if his role on offense is significantly reduced.
“If I’m V. J. Edgecombe’s agent, I’m not sure I’m happy with the summer that the 76ers have had,” Green continued. “If I’m just V. J. Edgecombe’s agent, because this could affect a lot for V. J. Edgecombe. Like you go from being sometimes the second option when Embiid was out to sometimes being the fifth option.”
“It’s a big, big difference. I don’t know if y’all understand like how big of a difference that is. He’s still aspiring. He still wants to be great. He still wants to be an All-Star. This ain’t really set him up to do that.”
Given that Joel Embiid appeared in only 38 games last season, it is safe to say that V.J. Edgecombe fulfilled the role of the second scoring option next to Tyrese Maxey. For the most part, he also thrived in it.
With averages of 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 43.8% shooting from the field and 35.4% from three-point range, Edgecombe was promising. Although he inspires enough confidence in his ability to suggest he could improve next season, the 76ers’ current roster situation may not allow it.
Maxey is one of the most dynamic scoring guards in the NBA. After pairing him with the likes of Jaylen Brown, an elite offensive player in every sense, and LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Edgecombe is bound to find himself falling down the pecking order. With Joel Embiid also providing assurances about his health, Green’s prediction about the 20-year-old may very well come true.
Alternatively, there could be a very different vibe in Philadelphia than what the consensus believes. According to recent reports, the team seems to be cognizant of each superstar’s usage rate last season. With sacrifice becoming a greater point of emphasis, there is reason to believe that the 76ers’ stars may find themselves sharing the ball a lot more than they are used to.
While this doesn’t necessarily suggest V.J. Edgecombe will return to being a second option, it doesn’t completely negate his role on offense either. If moving without the ball and making the right pass is rewarded, a young player like Edgecombe would do well to adapt and assert himself as a vital player.
