The Philadelphia 76ers had a tough end to their season with a four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks. However, there were plenty of reasons for optimism for the team in a season where their expectations were unclear. The 3-1 series comeback against the Boston Celtics gave fans something to cheer for during this postseason, but the play of VJ Edgecombe gave the Sixers' head coach Nick Nurse something else to look back on after the series loss, according to Austin Krell via X, formerly Twitter.
“That was a hell of an impressive rookie season. He's a helluva player,” Nurse said.
Edgecombe already established himself as one of the 76ers' go-to players in his rookie season. He averaged 35 minutes per game, contributing 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. He was also a menace at the defensive end, averaging over one steal per game, which is an encouraging sign for a rookie to already look so polished at the end of the floor.
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Philadelphia will have some confidence heading into the offseason, knowing that Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe are the future for the team in their backcourt. The guard will want to improve his scoring a bit in his sophomore season to reach his full potential, but it's a great building block regardless.
Edgecombe's eight points in the season-ending loss aren't the greatest way to end his season, but Nurse isn't going to let that dampen the rookie's season. It's nothing but positive things ahead for the 76ers and their young guard.
The Philadelphia 76ers had a tough end to their season with a four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks. However, there were plenty of reasons for optimism for the team in a season where their expectations were unclear.