The NBA Draft Lottery did not work in the Hornets favor and they fell to the fourth overall pick. For a lot of last season, there was a clear perceived delineation between the top three and the rest of the pack. As we get closer to the draft, that line seems to have shifted just a bit, and there’s a prospect that’s becoming cemented in mocks as the fourth pick to the Charlotte Hornets. That player is VJ Edgecombe.
Measurments
Height: 6’4″
Wingspan: 6’7.5″
Standing reach: 8’5.5″
Weight: 193.2 pounds
Vertical: 30″ no step, 38.5″ max
Strengths
Athleticism, defensive play making, offensive tools
VJ Edgecombe’s athleticism jumps off the screen, as does he. His vertical leap measurement at the combine probably undersells how explosive he is during game action. He gets out and runs in transition and is extremely difficult to stop when he gets a head of steam. He rises up above where most defenders can contest his shot and has good body control in open space to finish.
The athleticism shows up on the defensive end of the floor as well. He has a handful of highlight reel chase down blocks to complement is extensive highlight reel of poster dunks.
He averaged 2.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per 36 minutes, both stellar marks for a freshman guard. There is room for improvement as a consistent lockdown guy at the point of attack, but he’s menace defensively when he’s on the floor and has a tremendous impact on that side of the floor. He chips in on the glass too.
The offensive game requires more polishing, but the foundation is promising. He only shot 34% from three at Baylor, but he shot 78% from the line and has a long pre-college track record of being a good shooter off the catch. He can use his explosiveness to get to the rim when opponents close out and he gets a runway just like he does in transition. While not a primary creator at this point, he’s an unselfish player that finds the open man when the defense is rotating. He had a good assist to turnover ratio and should function well as an offensive connector at worst. He has moments that make you think he could develop into more of a secondary creator in time.
Question Marks
Ball handling, rim finishing in the half court
Edgecombe’s question marks are somewhat related and are a huge swing factor in how high a level he reaches as a pro. He plays a bit sped up when he’s trying to create against a set defense, which leads to stumbles, wayward dribbles, and sloppy dribbles. His pull-up jumper numbers were poor at Baylor, but the process looks good and he has the requisite confidence for this to become a bigger part of his game in time.
He also struggles to finish at the rim when he doesn’t have a runway to unleash his athleticism. His ball handling hurts him a bit here, but there’s also room for improve how he deals with contact. He tends to try to out-athletic defenders with big jumps and unnecessary double clutches and things of that nature. He needs to learn to play with better pace around the basket and be more welcoming of contact.
Overall Outlook
Victor Oladipo is the most common comparison I’ve seen for Edgecombe, but VJ needs to improve as an off-the-dribble scorer to become the caliber of player Oladipo was before injuries derailed his career. That said, there are glimpses of that kind of player in Edgecombe’s game, and he’s a far better player at his age than Oladipo was as a late bloomer.
A comparison I haven’t seen as much is Derrick White. White and Edgecombe have almost the exact same physical profile. White has played as more of an off guard in Boston and has been one of the league’s best defenders while having the complementary offensive skill set to win games on that side of the ball as well. He’s not as heralded as some of his teammates, but White was a Team USA basketball player at the Olympics and is arguably the best “role player” in the league, if you can call him that. That wouldn’t be a bad outcome either, and Edgecombe has more athletic juice to elevate that style of play.
Edgecombe is a perfect fit with the young players currently on the Hornets’ roster. He brings some defensive doggedness with a complementary offensive game to go with the play and shot making of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. A trio of Edgecombe, Miller, and Miles Bridges would be one of if not the most explosive combinations of players at two through four in the league.