If VJ Edgecombe wants, he can add his own NBA debut to his habit of watching basketball highlights on YouTube.
Edgecombe had a wildly impressive, historically great debut Wednesday night, pouring in a franchise-record 34 points in the Sixers’ 117-116 opening-night win over the Celtics. Allen Iverson scored 30 back in 1996.
What stood out from Edgecombe’s game?
First, we’ll note that the No. 3 pick wasn’t kidding about being “super confident” in his jumper. He took 13 three-point shots and drained five. Last year at Baylor, his high for long-range attempts in a game was eight.
Outside of the confidence and volume, there were several noticeable positives with Edgecombe’s form. For the most part, he had good shot preparation, balance and arc.
At training camp, Edgecombe said his jumper was “flat” in college and emphasized mechanics.
“Just getting it up, to be honest,” he said on Sept. 27. “Keeping my elbows high and just getting it up. I tend to just shoot the ball quick, but now I’m more focused on it and I’m paying attention to more detail on my shots just so I can get better.”
Edgecombe was also excellent from close range. He shot 7 for 8 in the paint and the one miss was a push shot from a little inside the foul line.
Naturally, his athleticism popped in the open floor. His catch and slam off of Kelly Oubre Jr.’s lob late in the third quarter was sensational. Very few 6-foot-4 guards could’ve done something similar.
Edgecombe had a number of crafty finishes, too.
The 20-year-old appears to be making major progress in that area since college. Given his speed, deceleration can be such a powerful tool. A slightly slower, non-linear final couple of steps should go a long way on his downhill drives in the NBA.
While scoring was the best part of Edgecombe’s evening offensively, he did well at some of the less glamorous aspects of playing major on-ball minutes.
Physicality and ball pressure beyond the three-point line didn’t disrupt him. As a passer, he was sensible. Edgecombe notched the Sixers’ first assist after he curled around a Joel Embiid dribble handoff and began to drive. Sam Hauser helped far off of Oubre on the wing and Edgecombe dished to him for a triple.
Edgecombe’s impact at point guard won’t always show through his own numbers. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse wants more freedom and less struggle for Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers emphatically checked those boxes in the opener with a 40-point Maxey performance on 13-for-24 shooting (7 for 9 from three-point range).
“Tyrese not having to bring the ball up all the time, it gives him some pressure relief,” Nurse said last Friday. “That’s what I like about it so far. Tyrese is scoring efficiently without having to dribble around in circles.”
He may not be quite at Maxey’s elite level in terms of turnover rate, but Edgecombe looks like he’ll be strong for a young guard. Over a 42-minute outing, Edgecombe committed only two turnovers (and he thought the first one should’ve been a kick ball on Payton Pritchard).
Defensively, Edgecombe was competitive and committed as usual. He’ll expect bigger nights ahead with steals (one) and deflections (three), but Edgecombe seemed at home defending both guards and wings.
He picked up his steal by sticking tight to Pritchard and preventing him from taking a Luka Garza handoff at the top of the key. Edgecombe then leapt to intercept Garza’s pass, leading to a Sixers fast break and Maxey lay-in.
Edgecombe’s a humble kid who’s happy to learn from anyone.
He also had no doubts that he’d do just fine with the transition to the NBA.
“If wasn’t ready for it, I wouldn’t be here,” he said after the Sixers’ preseason finale. “And I just have a lot of confidence, and my teammates instill confidence in me also.
“I won’t say it’s easy, but it’s basketball at the end of the day. I’m trying not to overthink it … I love the game so much. It just flows naturally, man. I’m just out there having fun.”
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