The Philadelphia 76ers have been mediocre since their hot start to the season, but that’s probably to be expected. After all, the team continues to struggle with injuries, and even rookie VJ Edgecombe was not safe from it. He was held out of the previous game against the Heat, which ended in a loss due to a calf problem, and it appears he will miss at least one more game.
After the latest injury report, Edgecombe will do so again do not touch the floor for the 76ers, this time against the Magic. The rookie apparently suffered the injury during their recent game against the Bucks, and luckily the footage reportedly came out clean. Head coach Nick Nurse said they decided to leave Edgecombe out as a precaution.
Sure, the rookie managed to dodge a bullet, but this is likely a glimpse of what the 76ers can expect if they continue to get too much out of their rookie. So far, the coaching staff has been very happy when it comes to his minutes, something that will have to change in the near future whether they like it or not.
The 76ers should stop playing VJ Edgecombe for so many minutes
Edgecombe logs 37.4 minutes per game – good for second place all players and only beaten by Tyrese Maxey, who plays more than 40 minutes a night. No rookie has averaged as many minutes since Damian Lillard in the 2012-13 season, where he logged 38.6 minutes per game.
However, the 76ers don’t have a very compelling reason to give Edgecombe such significant minutes. Now that the team has Jared McCain and the ever-reliable Quentin Grimes, it’s high time for the coaching staff to seriously consider reducing Edgecombe’s minutes to the 28 to 32 range.
Given Edgecombe’s playing style, his lower limbs are more prone to sprains and bruises, and the one he is currently dealing with is especially troublesome if left unmanaged. Calf problems have been a source of fear and anxiety for many teams this season. Just look at Victor Wembanyama who, despite a very mild calf injury, was immediately held out of action by Spurs as an extreme precaution.
Prevention is better than cure, and the 76ers have every reason to be more cautious with Edgecombe. After all, the team has the necessary talent to deal with the prospect of him getting fewer minutes.
Hopefully Nick Nurse and his staff will become more conservative when it comes to managing Edgecombe’s minutes. So far, that attitude has been completely MIA, and that can no longer be the case in the future or they risk these types of injury threats.
#76ers #eerie #glimpse #risky #plan #backfire #big