The 76ers had more than one starter unavailable against the Detroit Pistons, but the concern level around VJ Edgecombe appears relatively mild.
Hours before tipoff, Philadelphia downgraded Edgecombe from questionable to out because of an abdominal contusion. Joel Embiid was also sitting out as the Sixers wrapped up the weekend, so by game time, two members of the starting five were unavailable.
The good news for Philadelphia is that Edgecombe’s issue does not sound like anything more serious. Before Sunday’s game, head coach Nick Nurse explained what happened to the young guard.
“In the game last night, he took a knee to that area. He obviously played through the game and all that kind of stuff. Just very sore today,” Nurse told reporters.
That makes the absence look more like a short-term setback than a major injury situation, though it does put Edgecombe firmly on the watch list moving forward.
For a player whose role has been a major talking point around Philadelphia’s reworked roster, Edgecombe has already shown he can matter. With Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and LeBron James in the mix, many have viewed him as the fifth-most important starter. Even so, he has been productive through the opening stretch.
In the first three games, Edgecombe has averaged 32.7 minutes per night while taking 11.3 shots per game. His scoring efficiency has lagged a bit, as he’s shooting 38.2% from the field, but the three-point stroke has held steady. He’s making 35.3% of his threes while launching 5.7 attempts from beyond the arc each game.
His production has shifted in a few other areas, too. Edgecombe is averaging 12.3 points, down from the scoring numbers he posted in other spots, but he’s also pulling down 8.0 rebounds per game and collecting 1.7 steals per game.
There’s still plenty of season left, and the Sixers will be hoping this is just a brief pause. Philadelphia’s next game is a trip to face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, October 28.
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