VJ Edgecombe missed the Sixers‘ game tonight against the Magic due to hip soreness, reports the Philly Inquirer’s Keith Pompey (via Twitter).
Pompey notes that despite receiving the day-to-day injury designation, Edgecombe was a part of shootaround this morning and will be a participant in practice next week, barring a setback.
Edgecombe staying healthy is a priority, especially since he has an opportunity to play a big role for the Sixers this season. Tony Jones of The Athletic writes that the rookie guard has a real shot at being a starter, but that his candidacy depends on the health of Paul George and Joel Embiid.
Regardless of whether he starts or not, Jones believes that Edgecombe is in line for plenty of minutes this year. Jones notes Edgecombe’s ability to play as a pick-and-roll ballhandler and passer off the dribble as a more underrated part of his skillset. Jones says that the swing skills, like for so many athletic guards, are how good he can become as a shooter and ball-handler.
We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:
As part of the Celtics‘ plan to reset their books with Jayson Tatum injured, the team brought in younger, unproven players to try to rebuild their frontcourt depth following the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. One such player who has stood out so far, according to Brian Robb of MassLive, is Josh Minott. The 23-year-old forward, who came to Boston after three years with the Wolves, showed a bit of everything except for shooting in the Celtics’ preseason game on Wednesday. Robb writes that while all of the Celtics’ young players played well on Wednesday, Minott’s hustle and defensive ability stood out. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe echoed the sentiment (subscriber link), while adding that Minott’s versatility could allow him to carve out a role in head coach Joe Mazzulla‘s game plan.
The Knicks are still adjusting to Mike Brown‘s new offense, but there’s an excitement for the changes in the group, especially with second-year Knick Mikal Bridges, writes Ian Begley for SNY. “He and his coaches, they all run a tight ship. You can tell that whatever we’re doing out there, they’re all on the same page, no matter what the situation is,” Bridges said. “And that’s a lot of credit to him… for everybody to be on the same page makes it easier for us players when they talk to us because any coach you talk to, you’re going to hear the same thing.” Brown knows it’s going to be a process to incorporate his changes. “Right now, I don’t care if we win or lose, as long as we keep trying to play the right way and trust it,” Brown said. “I want them to learn how to play basketball the right way offensively within our staples. That’s pace, whether it’s in the full court or the half court… If you hit that paint and you don’t have the ball, don’t just stand there. Get out right now and re-space to create more opportunities for driving and kicking…. Space the right way all the time… Hey, it hits your hands, shoot it, pass it, snap drive it to try to collapse the defense. Those are things that we believe in.”
The Raptors have 14 guaranteed contracts on their roster right now, and that might not change anytime soon, writes TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (via Twitter). Head coach Darko Rajakovic said the Raptors are still weighing their options, and he’s unsure if the team is going to fill the 15th spot heading into the season. Lewenberg adds that AJ Lawson could be a top option if they do add one more guaranteed deal. Lawson was a standout for the Raptors’ Summer League team and has averaged 4.0 points in 5.4 minutes through two preseason games.