CAMDEN, N.J. -- The Philadelphia 76ers will be focused on building a roster that will be in contention for a championship in the upcoming season. They've added future Hall of Famers such as LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in an effort to get the job done, but despite the star power, there is a second-year player who will be looking to give this team the big boost it needs.
VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft who had himself one phenomenal rookie season, will be looking to build off a season in which he averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while playing next to the likes of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George. Now, he will look to do it again while playing next to James and Brown.
James, who will be looking to lead
this group, is confused about the school of thought that Edgecombe will be taking a step back.
"Yeah, I've been hearing things are going to change for him," James stated. "I don't understand why things will change for him. I think with his dynamic, him being able to get out and transition and attack defenses before the defense is set, his ability in the half-court situation where we're able to attract multiple eyes and he's able to catch it on a catch-and-go or off-balance defense, I don't think his role should change."
The idea makes sense. The Sixers can't win and contend for a championship while also being able to fully develop and grow Edgecombe's game. That's just common sense. Edgecombe averaged 13.7 field goal attempts as a rookie. With James, Brown, Maxey, and a healthy Embiid, one has to expect his shot attempts to drop as time moves on, but James has a lot of confidence in his young teammate.
"I think with the group of guys that we have, no one mentioned that everybody's role will probably be different. And that's for the greater good," James continued. "If we want to accomplish something that's really, really important – like, if we say that we want to do something special -- there will be a collective sacrificing in a good way. Sometimes in sports, people hear ‘sacrifice’ and automatically people start thinking negative about it. It's not a negative thing."
Edgecombe will certainly have to sacrifice shots in the upcoming season, but if that means he is able to come up with another big hustle play or come up with a big moment in the clutch, then it goes for the greater good. The Sixers have big plans and the idea is to focus on winning as a group.
"You can sacrifice one or two more shots that gives you one or two more bursts of energy in the fourth quarter to slide over and take a charge," James preached. "Or give you one or two more bursts of energy to get an offensive rebound for extra possession to kick out for a teammate. Or an extra two bursts of energy to run back in defense and get a chase-down block. Some things that don't show up in the box scores. So, it's not a negative when people say, ‘OK, you have to make a sacrifice or your role may change.’ If we're trying to do something special, which I believe we are, then it's a positive. So many guys that's been in our league over the course of my career have never made a sacrifice in their career and they average 20 points and 22 points a game and they've had one or two postseason appearances and zero postseason wins."
If the Sixers are going to get more out of Edgecombe in other areas that he wouldn't have done before, and it goes toward winning, then they are going to be in a place of success. That should be the focus.
"If that's the way you want your career to be, then that's fine. Everyone has different goals," James finished. :But I don't think anybody downstairs or I don't think anybody in the locker room have that feeling and want their career to be like that or we wouldn't be here."
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: VJ Edgecombe receives vote of confidence from Sixers star LeBron James
