Why VJ Edgecombe Has Never Hit the Rookie Wall

PHILADELPHIA — VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and Justin Edwards rode the highs of the 'next man up' mentality while the Sixers were without Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr.

When the more tenured Embiid and George returned on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls, the trio of younger guys had to swallow some pride and take steps back.

They all did.

It's a task that Grimes and Edwards have faced in their own rights before. But Edgecombe hadn't experienced such a swift change in responsibilities yet in his career.

It's not like he even noticed a difference, though.

Wednesday against the lowly Bulls was his fourth consecutive game with at least 22 points. He's compiled at least six rebounds and four assists in each game.

Edgecombe took 28 shots en route to 35 points in Monday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He took just nine shots en route to 22 points on Wednesday.

He rewired his shot selection when asked to step into the primary ballhandler role with Maxey out. The 3 abandoned him, so he abandoned it. He made his money in the mid-range and at the rim.

From March 8 through March 22, Edgecomb shot 19% from 3.

In the loss to OKC? 7-for-15.

He shot 4-for-5 from deep against Chicago on Wednesday, hitting step-backs in isolation, transition pull-ups and catch-and-shoots.

Edgecombe has had brief lulls in his rookie season. But he's never quite hit the wall that rookies in every sport hit as the long professional season tests their limits. It's helped the Sixers survive this long amid an always-unstable injury report.

Nick Nurse credits Edgecombe with being able to regroup from down moments quickly.

"I think he's got a really good quality of bouncing back. When he has a 1-for-8 game, man, look out the next game. He just comes out really determined to not let that happen again," Nurse told reporters after the win over the Bulls.

"He's kind of rolled. I think he might've had a 1-for-8, 1-for-9 somewhere along the way here and, ever since then, he's just been really good."

Edgecombe sees a similar quality in himself.

"It's a mental thing. It's all a mental thing. I try to stay strong mentally. I got a great group of guys around me that help with that. So I just try to stay strong mentally and enjoy it," Edgecombe said on Wednesday.

"So I think that's why I've just been enjoying the whole process. I haven't had time to just sit down and cope and sulk on anything."

He credits George, who returned from a 25-game suspension on Wednesday, with helping him deepen his offensive repertoire.

"The mid-post area. Mid-range area," Edgecombe said with a chuckle. "He helped me a lot, just how to read defenders and stuff like that."

The rookie has quickly grown comfortable with snaking around ball screens and changing paces in the paint, opening up opportunities in the mid-range and in. It's enhanced his scoring numbers.

Edgecombe averaged 21 points in five October games to begin the season. He was logging more than 40 minutes per night.

March is the first month since then in which Edgecombe has pushed his scoring average back into the 20s. He's playing 33 minutes per game across 11 contests this month.

He's played the most minutes of any rookie in his class. He's played 66 games, double what he played at Baylor.

And yet, as the big fish re-entered the pond on Wednesday, Edgecombe fit right in with them.