CAMDEN, NJ – About two hours after he was anointed as the newest franchise cornerstone of the Sixers, VJ Edgecombe met with reporters over Zoom to discuss his reaction to being drafted at No. 3 overall, his goals on and off the floor, his budding relationship with Tyrese Maxey and much more.
In another edition of Sixers soundbites, here is everything notable from Edgecombe's first availability with Philadelphia media:
• Edgecombe on his initial reaction to being drafted by the Sixers:
"Man, it was crazy. I feel like we could be a team that could play the Finals, especially when everyone is healthy. So it's a surreal moment being drafted by Philly. It's a surreal moment, man. I was lost for words for, like, the first 20 minutes, 30 minutes. I just can’t believe it’s true."
• Edgecombe on how he thinks he fits in with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George:
"I feel like I'll play well off of them. I’ve been playing off the ball, I don’t need the ball to be impactful. Knowing the type of players they are, I feel like I'll be able to fit right in. Just play off with them, learn from them, help on the defensive end."
• Edgecombe on how he hopes to improve as a player in the near future:
"Definitely continue working on my shooting, knowing I'm going to be playing with really, really talented players, most likely Hall of Famers. I mean, you’ve got an MVP of the league. So just being able to shoot the ball, to relieve some of the pressure off of [Embiid], so they won't have to double him. Because they have to double him, if you're being honest, they’ve got to double Embiid… Maxey, who's a super quick guard, super electric, an elite shooter. PG, just a skillful person, super skilled. So I feel like I'll be able to fit right in. You also have Jared McCain."
• Edgecombe on spending time with Maxey during his visit with the Sixers earlier this month:
"Man, he's a great person. Great person. We just got to know each other. We ain't even talk basketball the whole time… I was just telling him how I'm just a huge fan of his game, but just got to know him. He's a great person, super energetic, full of joy. That’s someone that I'm definitely looking forward to working with. That's going to be my backcourt mate, man. Hopefully, we retire with the same team."
• Edgecombe on his perception of Philadelphia:
"City of Brotherly Love, man. I know the fans, they go hard behind Philly... I love a great fan base, I also love interacting with the fans."
• Edgecombe on Sixers shooting guard Eric Gordon, a mentor of his from their shared time with the Bahamian national team.
"Man, it means a lot. It's crazy me and EG are teammates now. EG is old, man. I tell him all the time, he's old, man... [Having] someone I already know on the team, that can help me."
• Edgecombe on his offensive development:
"I think I just need to continue growing in every aspect of the game. You can never stop getting better. But I'm really focused on just shooting the ball at a high level to release pressure off Joel and Tyrese and PG."
• Edgecombe on his defensive mentality:
"My mentality is to not let nobody score. I hate to see other people score, man. That's just me. I just hate to see other people score... I just do not like to see other people score.... I just love playing defense because I know that I can play on the floor if I'm not scoring. Scoring is not the only aspect of the game. And I'm so bought in on just being a versatile player, an all-around player. Why not be an elite defender, or try your hardest to be an elite defender? That just comes with grit. And I just don't like seeing other people score. Like I said, I just hate seeing the opponents score. Because if they score more than us, they win. I hate to lose. So that's why I play defense the way I do."
SIXERS DRAFT VJ EDGECOMBE
• What the scouts and numbers say about Edgecombe
• Edgecombe's most impressive highlights
• Daryl Morey explains pick, adds Joel Embiid update
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