VJ Edgecombe navigating NBA grind after surprise start to his career: ‘I’ve got to give myself some grace’
As VJ Edgecombe prepared to leave the 76ers’ locker room Sunday, following the team’s second set of back-to-back games in less than a week, veteran teammate Andre Drummond noticed the rookie looked “exhausted.”
So Drummond offered direct instructions for Edgecombe heading into the Sixers’ mandatory off day.
“Don’t get up until 6 p.m. tomorrow,” Drummond publicly reiterated in front of reporters a few minutes later. “6 p.m., VJ. So if you see this, keep your [butt] in bed.”
Perhaps no Sixer will benefit more than Edgecombe from this light stretch of the Sixers’ early schedule, when their only game in five days is Friday at the Detroit Pistons. After a torrid scoring start — including a historic 34-point outburst in the Sixers’ opener at the Boston Celtics — Edgecombe has shot 27.9% (17 of 61) from the floor and 25% (5 of 20) from three-point range and averaged 9.4 points during his past five games.
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The mini slump is understandable for a rookie going through the demanding 82-game NBA schedule for the first time, and playing heavy minutes for a competitive Sixers team in record (7-4) and in number of “clutch” games played (nine, tied for the NBA lead entering Thursday). And there is no substitution for Edgecombe simply experiencing the grind.
“It’s not weighing on me,” Edgecombe said of his recent struggles. “Why I say it’s not is because it’s an 82-game season. Nobody’s going to remember these games early. I mean, I’m a rookie, man. I’ve got to give myself some grace. Obviously, I set a pretty high standard when I came and had a good debut scoring the ball.
“But at the end of the day, I just want to win. That’s the main thing for me. I just want to win.”
Coach Nick Nurse said that Edgecombe’s “tremendous engine” — the 20-year-old guard can “work really long days, and then do it again the next day,” the coach added — and mental fearlessness have been present since the Sixers drafted him this summer.
That motor has already been put to use. Entering Thursday, Edgecombe ranked second in the NBA in minutes played (37.3 per game), only behind teammate Tyrese Maxey (40.5 per game). And after playing 35 total games his one college season at Baylor — “and 12 of them don’t really count,” Nurse quipped — Edgecombe logged 11 NBA games in less than three weeks. That included three back-to-backs, which Edgecombe acknowledged was “tough for me personally.”
“I don’t know if I can prepare myself for that,” Edgecombe said.
And it is not just the avalanche of games, but everything in between. Last week, the Sixers completed their first multigame road trip to Brooklyn, Chicago, and Cleveland. That typically means leaving one city immediately after a game, landing in the next city in the middle of the night, then needing to be ready to jump into practice or game preparation a few hours later.
Maxey said Tuesday that, in Year 6, he has just begun to figure out a maintenance routine that works for him. Justin Edwards, who was a rookie last season, learned preventive treatment such as sitting in a cold tub, “flush” massages, and red light therapy are crucial.
So far, Edgecombe spends nights without a game sitting on his couch in recovery boots that alleviate leg soreness. On game days, he takes a nap and speaks to his family. His goal is to keep his mind peaceful, following a mantra from high school coach John Buck that “you can’t be grateful and stressed at the same time.”
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Edgecombe had already earned the trust of teammates and coaches with his work ethic and temperament. Nurse praised that Edgecombe was “everywhere” the team asked during the offseason, even canceling a visit home to the Bahamas.
That is why Nurse was not hesitant about immediately inserting Edgecome into the starting lineup. Or keeping him with the closing group, even when he struggled with his shot or turnovers earlier in the game. Edgecombe is already one of the Sixers’ better perimeter defenders. He also always has the potential to flash his insane athleticism as a driver or finisher. And he has already shown a knack for knocking down clutch shots, while averaging 15.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists so far this season.
“He’s got great composure. He’s calm. He doesn’t make too many mistakes,” Nurse said. “I super believe in him. … He needs to be out there and learn this stuff, and he’s produced.”
Like during the Sixers’ win over Celtics Tuesday night. Edgecombe missed eight of his first nine shots, including an air-balled three-pointer to begin the third quarter that prompted him to mouth “Oh my God” in surprise (or self-deprecation).
But with about five minutes remaining, Edgecombe elevated to block All-Star Jaylen Brown’s dunk attempt, then pushed the ball ahead to Edwards for a three-pointer. Then with 2 minutes, 20 seconds to play, Edgecombe let an open three-pointer fly — and watched it bounce high off the rim and through the net to give the Sixers a four-point lead. Perhaps that was a reward for Edgecombe’s summer work to get more arc on his shot, and “give it a chance to get in the rim,” he said.
“It’s been a rough couple days, but I won’t stop shooting the ball,” Edgecombe said. “I will continue shooting the ball if I’m wide-open, if it’s the right shot.”
That is one of several on-court lessons for Edgecombe during these first 11 games. Another is that he cannot expect to outjump competitors for a rebound, because “they’re 7-foot and they’re gonna get there quicker than me.” Nurse added that Edgecombe must get downhill more aggressively while playing alongside Joel Embiid, in order to draw the defender away from the former MVP and open opportunities for Edgecombe to pass to a rolling or popping Embiid. Even the speedy Edgecombe notices the increased pace at the NBA level, and that he needs to sharpen his defensive positioning.
And though Edgecombe feels empowered by coaches and teammates to be himself on the court, Nurse acknowledged Thursday that the staff can more deliberately put Edgecombe in situations with the ball in his hands.
“Come hell or high water, this is your play,” Nurse said. “Go make something happen.”
After Tuesday’s sputters, Edgecombe believes he is “due for a game to get back on track.” Nurse added that Edgecombe’s past two days have been filled with “constant film work,” which is “still [a] pretty heavy load mentally, no matter if he’s on the court or not.”
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But that approach does allow Edgecombe to take Drummond’s advice. On Monday, Edgecombe said he woke up after noon, then was back asleep by 5 p.m. So it is fair to assume he will aim to maximize this lighter early-season stretch, with one game in five days.
“When I get home, in my bed,” Edgecombe said, “that’s the best thing.”
