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Though VJ Edgecombe was a scratch for the Philadelphia 76ers' Summer League showdown against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the tale of his Utah debut against Ace Bailey and the hometown Jazz has kept fans incredibly excited about the Baylor product's future.
Taking the court alongside future teammates Adem Bona, Justin Edwards, and maybe a few others, depending on how the summer shakes out, Edgecombe filled up the stat sheet across the board, logging 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two block,s and a steal as the team's best overall player.
One high-profile fan of Edgecombe is ESPN's Tim McMahon, who used some time on The Hoop Collective to shower the Baylor product with praise.
“Edgecombe, you watch him and he is just a wow athlete,” McMahon declared. “The turbo button, the leaping ability. I mean, he got up 27 shots, and there weren't a lot where you said, ‘Boy, he forced that one.' Ten rebounds. He is a high-level athlete. I mean, he might be a top 10 athlete when he steps on the board.”
Turning to a stat from the show's producer, Jackson Ajello, McMahon showed just how elite the 76ers' rookie's performance was, placing him alongside three current All-Stars with Hall of Fame potential.
“VJ Edgecombe is the fourth top 5 pick to have 25 25-point, 10-rebound game in Summer League since 2017. The others?” McMahon asked. “Wemby, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum. No guarantees, but not bad company to be in.”
Whoa, talk about raising the level of expectations from fans in the City of Brotherly Love.
Now granted, was Edgecombe perfect in his Summer League debut? No. Even excluding his end of half-heave, Edgecombe did not shoot well from beyond the arc and was moved around a bit by bigger forwards when he was defending them. With that being said, this was Edgecombe's first game with NBA spacing, and he was able to pretty much get what he wanted as a ball-dominant scoring guard. Give him some time in the weight room, and the 76ers might have the ideal young wing to build around into the future.
