The Philadelphia 76ers played their first preseason game of the year in Abu Dhabi against the New York Knicks, and there were some things to be excited about with the group. Though Joel Embiid and Paul George did not suit up, Tyrese Maxey was out there getting some minutes with his teammates.

Another player who fans were excited to see was VJ Edgecombe, who finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. After the game, head coach Nick Nurse shared what he liked about the rookie in his first preseason game.

“I really liked his defense, especially the first half,” Nurse said. “He's a really good athlete, but he was really causing some havoc. He was getting over screens, he was in passing lanes, he was applying a lot of ball pressure, and he's a really good defender. He's kind of also a really good defensive rebounder and even has a shot blocking element to his defense as well.

“I was impressed with how he was playing against very experienced players and took on the challenge, and I thought he was good with his physicality and just his quickness.”

Edgecombe's shooting numbers weren't great, but it's good to know that his defense is something he can pride himself on when his shot isn't falling.

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VJ Edgcombe has solid preseason debut

Edgecombe did a little bit of everything in his preseason debut, and one of the things that stood out was his speed and athleticism. He was able to get to the rim quickly, and he didn't always take the shot when he got there. There were several times where he drove and kicked it to the perimeter for an open shot, or he dumped it down the big man in the paint.

He also showed the ability to get rebounds, and at his size, that's big. The one thing that will have to improve is his jump shot, which was also inconsistent at times during the Summer League. Nonetheless, it was a good debut for the rookie, and he could see some key minutes this season, especially with Jared McCain set to miss some time to start.

The 76ers have dealt with injuries over the past few years, and if they can come into the season relatively healthy, that's a plus for a team that has the talent to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.