Draymond Green isn’t hiding how he feels about LeBron James ending up with the Philadelphia 76ers instead of the Warriors, but his bigger point is about what that move does to the rest of Philly’s roster.
On his podcast, Green zeroed in on VJ Edgecombe as the player most likely to feel the squeeze. With James in the mix, along with Jaylen Brown after the 76ers pulled off a trade with the Boston Celtics for Paul George and a significant draft-pick haul, Philadelphia’s rotation suddenly looks crowded at the top.
That’s the reality Green sees for Edgecombe, who put together an impressive rookie season but may be headed for a much smaller slice of the offense. Brown, Embiid, James, and Tyrese Maxey are all stars who can average over 25 points per game, and Edgecombe is not at that level yet. His value may shift toward being an off-ball threat and a defender, with whatever scoring he can provide coming in a more limited role.
The main issues for this new 76ers group, as the source material frames it, are how the responsibilities get divided and how the defense holds up. Edgecombe could still carve out an important place for himself by defending hard and making smart plays without the ball.
Still, Green was blunt about how that kind of role change looks from the outside.
"If I’m V. J.
Edgecombe’s agent, I’m not sure I’m happy with the summer that the 76ers have had... Like you go from being sometimes the second option when Embiid was out to sometimes being the fifth option.
It’s a big, big difference," Green said on his podcast about Edgecombe's new role.
For Edgecombe, the challenge is obvious. The opportunity is different now, and the path to impact may be narrower. But he does appear to have the kind of personality that can handle it, and his hunger for success could help him make the adjustment work in Philadelphia.
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