When the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Jaylen Brown, it spelled doom for V.J. Edgecombe. This is because with Brown in the fold, that meant the Sixers would have three players with usage percentages in the 30s and none of them being plus playmakers.Â
Given the ceiling of Edgecombe and the flashes he showed during his rookie season, his development must remain the priority for Philadelphia. It was hard to not see his growth as potentially being stunted with the Brown trade.
The Sixers weren’t done making big moves though, as they signed LeBron James last week, and are now positioned to have the most talented roster in the East. The James signing only means one thing for Edgecombe.
LeBron James is exactly what V.J. Edgecombe needed
James is one of the best playmakers of all-time and is known for helping young guards grow. From Kyrie Irving to Austin Reaves, James is known to maximize young guys that he sees as obsessed with the game. That is exactly what Edgecombe has.
Edgecombe had an explosive rookie year. He averaged 16 points per game, six rebounds, and four assists and looked more comfortable throughout the year with a bigger on-ball role. His motor was also absolutely relentless, which is a huge added bonus for a young player.
Edgecombe also has a similar skillset to a young Dwyane Wade, someone that James played with for many years in Miami and on multiple Olympic teams as well. We also saw how well that duo played together.
The point is that Edgecombe is going to have an all-time playmaker setting him up for easy looks all over the court. Yes, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid are still the heads of the snake for Philly’s offense and Brown will also have his fair share of touches.Â
However, Edgecombe has the highest ceiling of that group and James likely knows that. Continuing his development and growth will make the Sixers even more dangerous. The quicker Edgecombe can reach his ceiling or get close to it, the better off Philly will be.
Philly is going to be the most talked about team in the NBA this year because of the summer they have had. They have a lot of big-time talent but they need to find a way to make it work fairly quickly. This group is eyeing a championship and with James in the fold to help with the development of Edgecombe, that will only help their cause.
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