PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia 76ers were lucky enough to draft VJ Edgecombe. After a miserable 24-58 season — a year in which they were considered a contender — the focus is on keeping their top-6 protected picks on lottery night in May.
They were able to do this while also moving up and having the chance to select Edgecombe at No. 3 overall. What happened after that is impressive.
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Edgecomb had a solid rookie season at Baylor University, averaging 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 43.2% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range. He averaged 1.4 steals per game as he also made an impact on the defensive end.
Edgecombe received some respect from Nuggets head coach David Adelman before the Sixers lost to the Denver Nuggets in overtime on Monday.
“He was one of the few guys I could watch at will last year,” Adelman said with a smile. “We’ve had a hard time watching college basketball this season. I’ve seen him a few times and he really, I mean, stood out right away. Athleticism, speed, competitiveness, it all came through. Watching him the other night against Memphis — again, it’s more fun to watch these things when it’s not film and you’re studying them. You’re just watching the game. It’s really impressive.”
Adelman pointed to the Sixers’ win over the Grizzlies on Dec. 30, when Edgecombe’s game-winning 3-pointer in overtime gave Philadelphia the victory. The rookie scored all 17 of his points in the second half of Monday’s loss to the Nuggets, but once again had great shooting late in the game while also playing great defense. It’s really impressive to see a rookie make a performance like this.
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“I think the athleticism, the skill, all of that is impressive, but more so the competitive spirit of that kid,” Adelman concluded. “He plays very hard, and that’s what you look for in people these days. There’s a lot of talented guys. They get paid to play basketball. You can tell some guys love to play, and he loves to play. He’s a problem. It’s a great draft for Daryl (Morey) and those guys.”
It’s clear that Edgecombe is grabbing the league’s attention and will continue to do so as he improves as a player.
This article originally appeared on 76ers Wired: Nuggets head coach David Adelman pays tribute to 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe