Sixers' VJ Edgecombe discusses ease of playing off Tyrese Maxey, stars

NEW YORK -- It's not always the case that a rookie picked as high as VJ Edgecombe at No. 3 enters a situation with three legitimate stars on the roster. Normally, those rookies enter situations where they have to be the foundational piece to begin a turnaround for the organization.

With the Philadelphia 76ers, Edgecombe can just enjoy playing off the gravity created by Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George. Opposing teams have to pay so much attention to those three that it makes life easy for Edgecombe to just step onto the floor and produce at a high level.

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"I mean, if they go over and let them play two-on-two the whole game, I think we'll live with that," smiled Edgecombe after a win over the New York Knicks on Saturday. "We’ll live with that for sure, but it's gonna be a long night for the opposing team, so you got to go send another man over. I just gotta be ready to make a play."

Edgecombe made a lot of those plays on Saturday as he finished with 26 points on 10-for-16 shooting with four assists in the win over the Knicks. He was able to play off the team's star players, as he has done at a high level recently, and it has led to him making an impact with ease.

"He’s good at a lot of different things," Maxey said of Edgecombe. "He can shoot the ball well, he can drive the ball well. Defenders get off his body because they try to help. So like, giving him the ball in space. He's really good in space as well and he makes plays. Like, he’s not just shooting the ball every time. He passes. He makes the right play."

Edgecombe's basketball IQ continues to be off the charts. The Sixers have been able to just give him the ball and let him make plays. He will make the right decision more often than not. Whether it's shoot the open jumper that has been created for him or make the right pass to lead to an open shot, the rookie steps up to make an impact as just a 20-year-old.

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"Getting Paul the ball twice in the corner, him knocking down two shots, or just hitting Joel on the long roll, whatever it is just to make a play," Edgecombe finished. "So they require so much gravity. Tyrese, obviously, Tyrese is a superstar now, Joel’s a superstar, PG is a superstar. I don't care what anybody say so they require so much gravity. I just gotta go in and do my part."

Edgecombe will continue his NBA education when the Sixers face the Denver Nuggets on Monday.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers' VJ Edgecombe discusses ease of playing off Tyrese Maxey, stars