A scouting report on NBA draft prospect VJ Edgecombe:
- Position: Guard
- Height: 6-foot-4 (without shoes)
- Weight: 193 pounds
- College: Baylor
Strengths
Edgecombe has the sort of athleticism that makes you stop whatever you were doing and watch replays in amazement.
While he’s still learning how to harness it all, he’s currently got a nice feel for how to both shine in obvious ways (rapid bursts to the rim, highlight slams) and subtle ways (snagging rebounds in a pack, recovering after falling a step behind defensively). The 19-year-old had a productive all-around freshman season at Baylor, posting 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
Edgecombe enjoys and takes pride in his defense. He doesn’t have the size of a guard-everyone stopper or the wingspan (6-foot-7.5) of a player destined to rack up steals and blocks, but his effort and explosiveness are great foundational traits.
“I feel like I’m an elite defender, but I also have a ways to go,” Edgecombe told reporters at the NBA draft combine. “I’m just willing to play defense with all my heart. I know if there’s anything I can do on the floor to impact the game, it’s guarding. That’s something I’m ready to do for sure.”
Edgecombe was a good college rebounder, ranking in the Big 12’s top 20 in rebounds per game. Rebounding is not one of his core tools, but it might lead Edgecombe’s NBA team to be a bit more comfortable using guard-heavy lineups.
Last summer, Edgecombe played with the Bahamas in the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament and showed his game already could be quite impactful against grown men. With NBA veteran teammates Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon, he was one of his country’s key players. Edgecombe averaged 16.5 points on 57.1/38.5/81.3 shooting splits, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Weaknesses
Edgecombe’s far from a polished ball handler and isolation scorer. He doesn’t have the tight, advanced handle to suggest he’s on the verge of consistently, efficiently creating his own shots in the NBA.
He also won’t enter the league as a crafty, comfortable finisher in traffic. When faced with resistance inside, he sometimes seemed to lack a real counter, flinging the ball toward the rim or trying to power through bigger bodies.
Edgecombe’s shot is not a strength at the moment. The numbers weren’t bad in college; 34 percent from three-point range on 4.6 attempts per game, 78.2 percent at the foul line. That said, Edgecombe has a rather narrow base on his jumper, isn’t smooth off the dribble and generally doesn’t look the part of a pure shooter.
No apparent need for deep concern there, especially given Edgecombe’s willingness to let it fly, but shooting improvement would certainly enhance his odds of becoming an NBA star.
Fit
Notably, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey’s general philosophy is to take the best player available.
If the Sixers drafted Edgecombe with the third overall pick, he’d add to the team’s list of guards 6-foot-4 and under, which includes Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain. Morey has said he intends to bring back restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, too.
The idea of Edgecombe as a Sixer would sound better if he proves capable of defending wings well at times and grows as a shooter. His size alone doesn’t appear like it should be a disqualifying factor.
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