Who Let The 76ers Get Away With This?

Who Let The 76ers Get Away With This?

The 76ers hit the jackpot because after starting last season as title contenders, the Sixers were so bad, they tanked so hard that they went from one of the championship favorites to one of the lottery favorites. And in the process, they leaped ahead of the Hornets, the Wizards, and the Jazz in the draft. And it is going to change their franchise forever because with the number three overall pick in the draft, they drafted this man. Oh man. 34 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and 42 minutes in his first game, helping leading the Sixers to a win over Boston in Boston. And if VJ Edgecomb is anything less than an all-star at the peak of his career, I will get a tattoo anywhere on my body saying I love Joel Embiid. And that should be the 76’s message to Joel Embiid as they trade or shut him down. It is time for the VJ Edgecomb and Tyrese Maxi era. And there is not a single player on this 76ers’s roster that I want taking the ball out of the hands of these two guys. Because when I say VJ Edgecomb will change the future of the 76’s franchise, you are looking at a future star right here. How many players have the kind of athleticism to make a play like this or to catch lobs like this in transition where his head nearly hits the rim, but then also have the ability to knock down five threes. It kind of sounds like another shooting guard I can think of. And honestly, the moment I saw VJ Edgecomb play in summer league, my first thought was the similarities between those two guys. Just look at him here getting the hand off from Barlow using the screen to avoid white and just a soft jumper. And I know one mid-range jumper doesn’t mean he’s Anthony Edwards, but as I said, he has shown the ability to score from all three levels in college, in summer league, in preeason, and now in the NBA as well. And I know this dunk was the highlight that you probably all saw because it showcased just how special his speed and athleticism is, but honestly, it wasn’t that dunk that impressed me the most from this game. It was this play. Watch VJ get the ball here in transition. With the Celtics still getting back, he races past Buché. But this is what is really special as he euros Jaylen Brown at full speed and finishes with his left. And from day one as a rookie, he’s going to be elite as a transition scorer because the blend of size, athleticism, speed, and then craft is already some of the best in the league. Just watch him again here. Watch him gather going around a backtracking Simons and he just glides to the rim. And what happens when you make five threes in a game is defenses start defending you like you’ve made five threes in a game. So, as he gets the ball at the three-point line on this play, Derek White closes out aggressively. VJ puts the ball on the floor and watch the patience as he sees three Celtics defenders. He doesn’t force a pass, but waits before another little fake and the jumper. This is what makes VJ so special. We know there are rookies and other players in the NBA that are freakishly athletic, but particularly young players, they don’t blend that freakish athleticism with composure and control. And if you think this is me just overreacting to one game, well, he did have the most points ever by a rookie in their first game of this century. He also did it against the Celtics in Boston. I don’t care if they don’t have Jason Tatum. this is still a great team with great defensive players and he put up those kind of numbers. I don’t think it is possible to overreact to a performance like this. But more importantly, we saw this in college. He did this for the Bahamas for the national team where he was the main guy on the team at 18 years old. A team that has the likes of Eric Gordon, Buddy Heield, and DeAndre Aton. By the way, I know some people hear that and be like, “Why are you mentioning international basketball?” But with the international talent in the NBA and with the guys I just mentioned being the alpha of that team at 18 years old, that’s special. And we also saw it in preeason and in summer league. Just look at his last game of preeason against a fully healthy Tim Wolves team. He dropped 26 points to go along with five steals. Just watch him on this play. Get the ball with 4 seconds left and three quarters of the court to cover. He puts his head down and with three Wolves defenders in front of him, he strides, bumps them off, and then floats it in. Like I said, VJ is not just a guy who attacks downhill. He blends those physical gifts with control and composure, which is the scariest combination you can have in the NBA. And it also helps that he can finish in just a variety of ways. Just look at him slice through here and hang and finish with the left. I’m sorry, but if you watch any of these clips and don’t think VJ Edgecomb is a future star, either I’m insane and the 76ers are insane for drafting him so highly, or you are insane. More realistically, I think all of us agree that this looks like a star. And just in case you weren’t inspired enough from his onc court play, how about how he actually made it to the NBA? Man, them long nights. Long nights. I’m telling you, we live I lived off a generator. I ain’t had no electricity. I live off a generator for 7 years. Obviously, everyone’s circumstances and how they made the NBA is different. I mean, Steph Curry was a multi-millionaire and became one of the greatest players ever. You don’t have to have that kind of struggle, but when VJ talks about it, it just makes you want to root for him even more. Milk crate. See your milk crate right here. We have one of those. This is fun practice. And you can see it in the way he plays. He just plays with that intensity and that edge which makes him special. And I know at the start of the video I talked about trading Paul George and Joel Embiid. Well, that’s not very reasonable right now because the Sixers would get back negative assets, but the good thing about VJ is whilst he is great with the ball in his hands, he is equally as dangerous without the ball in his hands. Like his first bucket of the game where Pritchette helps off Edgecomb and once he gets the pass from Grimes, it’s just that burst of speed and he gets straight to the rim. or this play which is an even better example where Maxi comes off the curl, gets into the paint and instead of waiting at the three-point line, he sees the gap in behind the defense and cuts back door for the two. So if by some miracle Paul George and Joel Embiid are either not injured or not washed, VJ Edgecomb is also capable of playing alongside those guys. And in fact, I think he will be a perfect complimentary piece to those guys if they are healthy because this is without even mentioning his defense as well. He might not be Cooper flag on that end of the floor, but he’s not going to be a liability. So many other rookies are those physical traits you see on offense, it translates to defense as well. like here where he chases his opponent around the screen. And look at the quick hands to force the turnover, helping the sixes get out in transition. Or this play where he’s guarding Pritchard. Pritchard gives it up. And once he realizes Pritchard isn’t coming for the handoff, he then jumps the pass from Gaza and forces the turnover. And what is so great about having this anticipation, about having the hands he has, he can also capitalize on that by getting out in transition and scoring off turnovers. And after one of the most disastrous seasons the 76ers could have imagined, they ended up with an absolute gift in VJ Edge. And if you want to hear me continue to talk about him and more things NBA, subscribe to the channel. It’s free. Dropping a like would be cool. Have a great day. Bye.

They drafted Michael Jordan…