There’s an illogical nature to VJ Edgecombe’s brand of athleticism.
He’s blending in, one of 10 players in the routine flow of a perfectly normal game. Then he snaps up a steal no one saw coming. He bursts through a crowd. His head’s near the rim.
“It’s almost every single day,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said last Friday, “that you see something from his athleticism where you’re like, ‘Wow, how did he get from here to there?’”
As Edgecombe enters his first NBA regular season — he’s expected to start the Sixers’ opener Wednesday night against the Celtics — it’s natural to wonder how rapidly he’ll rise.
Nurse wants to invest in Edgecombe’s development and let him grow through rookie mistakes. The No. 3 overall pick has also earned a starting spot this preseason.
Edgecombe racked up 26 points, six rebounds, three assists and five steals in the Sixers’ exhibition win over the Timberwolves. He hasn’t looked like a player who will merely chip in here and there thanks to effort and athletic tools.
“He kind of does a lot of everything,” Nurse said last week. “To me, his exceptional thing is he’s really good at getting into his man and guarding, and getting over screens. He does that at an amazing level. You can screen him all day and never get him off his man sometimes when he’s locked in defensively.
“I’ve probably been most impressed with his IQ. He really knows what’s happening. He asks super thoughtful questions. He learns something from the film one day and applies it immediately to the floor the next. … He’s rebounding, he’s blocking shots, he’s shooting probably better than we expected, he’s making plays at the rim offensively. There’s a lot of things that are contributing to him being a good player.”
When the Sixers drafted Edgecombe, they figured he’d care deeply about defense, hound his man and boost their turnover-forcing goals. That all appears on track.
In the NBA, how will Edgecombe absorb the tendencies and tells of players he’s never guarded before?
“Just coming in and watching film, man,” he said the morning of the Sixers’ preseason finale. “Watch their good games, watch their bad games. It just comes with watching. I’m a visual learner, so if I get to watch, I might pick up on certain things very fast. That’s helpful.”
Edgecombe named Jrue Holiday, Lu Dort and Derrick White as strong defenders that he studies.
“I just want to learn, man. … Anybody can teach you how to play defense,” he said. “I feel like a really good offensive player can teach you how to play defense just because he knows how he doesn’t like to be guarded. You can learn from anybody.”
Several of Edgecombe’s teammates have highlighted how well he digests and applies new information.
The Baylor product believes in his talent but, at 20 years old, sees nothing wrong with sometimes stepping back and observing.
“He’s just a natural,” Jabari Walker said Monday. “It starts off with his dog mentality. He’s cool, calm, collected. Not going to stress, not going to overthink it. And sometimes I’m like, ‘Man, how’s this rookie so calm and collected, like he’s been here before?’ So that’s different.
“He just picks up things quickly. I think he has no problem sitting back and taking a rep out, just to watch how an older guy does it. And then just perfect it in his own way. He has all the keys for sure.”
While Edgecombe already excels in many aspects, he also has plenty to improve upon. Backcourt mate Tyrese Maxey has harped on his finishing around the hoop.
“The biggest thing we’ve been working on that I go and mess with him about every morning is touch around the rim,” Maxey said after the Minnesota game. “We know that he’s going to dunk on some people for sure, but there’s going to be some times that he needs to shoot tough layups and things like that. I think that’ll make his game even better.”
The Sixers would love to see Edgecombe gain comfort running the offense, too. He’s exceeded Nurse’s on-ball expectations so far and the hope is he’ll ease the pressure on Maxey, allowing the sixth-year guard to have extended stretches thriving off the ball.
Though he’ll presumably have bumpy patches as a rookie, Edgecombe sure seems to have promise at point guard. He’s had encouraging moments organizing the Sixers in the half court, spearheading transition offense, reading pick-and-roll defenses, and driving and kicking out to open teammates.
“He makes good decisions, doesn’t let them speed him up,” Maxey said. “I think he plays extremely mature for being a rookie.
“He’s good. He’s good at basketball.”
Edgecombe’s shooting remains an important area to watch. His main focuses have been higher arc and greater consistency.
During his one college season, Edgecombe went 43.6 percent from the floor, 34 percent from three-point range and 78.2 percent at the foul line. His preseason numbers were 42.5 percent from the field, 25 percent beyond the arc (4 for 16) and 100 percent on free throws (12 for 12).
“The progress has been really good,” Nurse said Sunday. “Technically, the things that we’ve done, he’s corrected. He really has worked hard on it. And now to me it’s just a matter of getting ‘em up there. I know that sounds funny, but you’ve got to take them in real NBA games, meaningful shots. To me it’s just a matter of time. … You’ve got to get those reps into you.
“I think the best thing is the opportunities are there. The guys are collapsing down, finding him. He’s got some good looks and I’m super confident he’s going to make ‘em. His work and his numbers in this (practice) setting are outstanding. When it gets swung over to him and he’s getting ready to pull it, I’m very excited because I’m expecting it to go in — because of the work that he’s put in.”
Edgecombe shoots often with Sixers assistant coach Rico Hines, a widely respected player development expert.
“That’s unc, man,” he said with a smile last week. “That’s someone I’ve been with almost every day … I think every day, for real. Every time we get in the gym, we’re just working, trying to get better at all the little things. He’s really helped me a lot. I’m just grateful to have someone with such experience in the league … He’s seen it all; he’s seen all the greats come through. He’s seen lots of great shooters.”
Edgecombe fired jumpers after practice Monday with veteran Eric Gordon, who he’s played alongside on the Bahamian national team.
“I’m super confident in my shot,” he said. “I’m going to shoot it when I’m open. … I’ve worked on it, put in a lot of reps, and I’m going to continue to work on it. It’s not something where I see, ‘Oh, I’m making a lot of shots, I’m going to stop working.’ Every day I’m going to work on my shot and just keep getting better and better and better.”
Across the board, it wouldn’t be shocking if Edgecombe followed that trajectory.
He watches and learns. We’ll see how high that takes him.
“I just watch basketball all day,” Edgecombe said. “I’m not even watching a Netflix show or anything.
“I just need to go on YouTube and watch basketball. Any basketball that I can find to watch. … And then I also have coaches helping me, pointing out a bunch of little things that I might not see, but they see because they’re more experienced. I just watch a lot of basketball.”