The brightest star in Philadelphia basketball this summer has not been their chief recruiter, their new elder statesman, their big trade acquisition, or the entrenched franchise player. With due respect to the work of the four star starters, it was VJ Edgecombe who spent parts of his summer playing the leading man in meaningful games for his country.

Across a few games for the Bahamas, we got a glimpse of a version of Edgecombe that might have suited up for Philly this season in different, more ordinary circumstances. Edgecombe was their star man, averaging over 23 points per game in a huge push toward World Cup qualification for the Bahamas. The promise he has shown in moments like those has driven some to question if this new Sixers situation is actively harming Edgecombe. Warriors vet Draymond Green posited that this summer, speculating that Edgecombe’s agent would be distraught about Philly’s star-laden roster.

Truthfully, it’s hard to find anyone who agrees with that sentiment in Philly’s facility. LeBron James spent media day pushing back on “sacrifice” being a dirty word. Tyrese Maxey went as far as to say that Edgecombe might be the key to Philadelphia’s season, with his combination of energy and skill irreplaceable between their high-volume stars. 

“VJ is going to be probably if not our most important player, he’ll be extremely important for us. We’re going to need his youth, we’re going to need the energy every single day, he’s going to have to be the same person every single night,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Some nights you’re going to have to be 10 points, eight rebounds, four steals, some nights you’re going to need him to get 20 [points], some nights we don’t know what we’re going to need him to do. He has to be that steady, that rock every single night, and I think he’s up for it.”

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