VJ Edgecombe ‘itching’ to return to Sixers summer league, but has a confidant in the rehabbing Jared McCain
Edgecombe has missed the Sixers' last three summer league games with a thumb injury, but he has been moving through the Las Vegas trip alongside the rehabbing McCain.
LAS VEGAS — Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe emerged from the locker room Saturday afternoon and grabbed a pair of NBA TV microphones.
That was part of a mini media tour for the two 76ers guards in the area behind the tunnel of the Thomas & Mack Center. McCain and Edgecombe certainly would prefer to be on the court together, rather than nursing short- and long-term injuries. Yet the organization’s two most recent first-round draft picks have already established a clear rapport with each other, and a presence within this roster.
“He’s grown into a leader,” summer league coach T.J. DiLeo said of McCain. “… Guys see him around. We want this to kind of be a [representation] for the Sixers organization for these young guys who are first-time in it.
“To see that type of stuff, it’s awesome. That’s what we want. We want that type of culture of inclusivity and having guys around and being all together and all for each other.”
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Edgecombe, the dynamic guard whom the Sixers drafted third overall last month, missed his third consecutive summer league game with a sprained thumb he suffered during his tremendous 28-point, 10-rebound debut against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City last weekend.
Though Edgecombe said the injury is “getting better,” he does not want to return to game action until it is fully healed. He has continued to go through on-court work, including a lengthy post-practice session with assistant coach Rico Hines on Friday. It remains possible that Edgecombe returns before the end of the Sixers’ stay in Las Vegas, which continues Tuesday against the Washington Wizards and Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks.
“Every day’s a progression,” Edgecombe said. “Just looking forward to getting it to 100% and being able to play. That’s the main thing. … I’m itching to get on the court after my first game. Probably just because we lost, too. I’m 0-1 in games I’ve played.”
McCain also said his recovery is “progressing well” since his mid-December surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, but his approach remains cautious. He said his next step is more full-speed contact work — “actually playing a little bit more.”
“Dying to get out there,” said McCain, who was an early Rookie of the Year front-runner before his injury.
After Saturday’s pregame media appearances, a fan in the stands attempted to get McCain’s attention by holding up his No. 20 Sixers jersey while the guard rebounded during warmups. Edgecombe and McCain then sat next to each other in the middle of the Sixers’ bench during their 96-94 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. After star teammate Tyrese Maxey arrived at the game, McCain half-jogged across the court to greet him. Edgecombe spent one first-half timeout chatting with second-year big man Adem Bona, then stood and clapped when Judah Mintz buried a pull-up jumper.
And if McCain and Edgecombe’s off-court interactions make it seem like they already knew each other before becoming Sixers teammates, it’s because they did. McCain hosted Edgecombe on his official visit to Duke, but Edgecombe chose to play his one college season at Baylor.
“He should have went to Duke,” McCain joked, with Edgecombe standing next to him during the joint media session. “I took him on his visit and showed him a great time. I don’t know what happened with that.”