VJ Edgecombe Hates Seeing The Other Team Score

People say Philly fans are hard to please. That is not true. We are actually very easy to pander to. If you work hard and show "grit" Philly fans will love you. VJ Edgecombe seems poised to take full advantage of that. After the Sixers selected him third overall, he spoke to the Philly media and dropped a quote that will likely go straight to the hearts of Philly fans.

"I just don’t like seeing other people score. … I just hate seeing the opponent score because if they score more than us, they win. And I hate to lose and love to win. So that’s why I play defense the way I do.”

Even in the best-case scenario, the other team is probably going to score at least 90 points. So Edgecombe will likely be upset a lot. But you have to love that attitude. We talk a lot about having the killer mentality on offense. But it can exist on defense too. And Edgecombe seems to have that.

It tracks with what scouts said about him coming into the draft. Edgecombe is the ideal 3 and D guy. And it is not just through sheer grit. Many think he is the most athletic player in this draft. In his freshman year, he averaged 2.1 steals and .6 blocks per game.

“I just love playing defense because I know that I can (stay) on the floor if I’m not scoring,” Edgecombe said in his press conference. “Scoring isn’t the only aspect of the game. I’m so bought in on just being a versatile player, being an all-around player. Why not be an elite defender, or try your hardest to be an elite defender?"

Sixers President Daryl Morey didn't mince words either about the newest Sixers. He said that Edgecombe will likely be the guy who gets the tougher defensive matchup in the backcourt. Perhaps not right away. Morey acknowledged it can take time for NBA rookies, but he sees Edgecombe as a defensive centerpiece.

"VJ’s going to be able to guard multiple positions, and probably take the toughest assignment. Maybe not Day 1, but over his career,” Morey said. “Tyrese and him can really play off of each other well.” 

Which is good. Maxey has made great strides on defense. He does not lack in the effort department. But he will always be limited on that end. It is hard for 6ft2 guards to match up with some of the tougher guards in the league. There are going to be mismatches there. The Same goes for Jared McCain.

VJ Edgecombe fills that void. He gives them an option who should eventually be able to go 1 on 1 with bigger guards. And while his offensive game could use some fine-tuning, he has upside there too. At the least, he can hit a catch and shoot 3. Something we have seen far too many guards, Ben Simmons, Mattise Thybulle, either struggle to do, or flat out refuse to try.