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Asked about his early impressions of VJ Edgecombe, Andre Drummond didn’t first point to the No. 3 overall pick’s bounce or defensive chops.
“The first day I saw VJ I was instantly impressed, because the first thing he did was just ask me a bunch of questions,” Drummond said Friday at Sixers media day. “He even asked me how my day was. He’s like, ‘What do you think about this, big bro? How do you feel about this?’
“He’s a kid that wants to soak up knowledge. And he’s a gifted athlete and he’s very, very good. I think he’s going to be very good for us and I’m excited about what’s to come.”
Day 1 of Edgecombe’s first NBA training camp was Saturday. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse named him and two-way contract player Dominick Barlow as standouts.
As Drummond noted, Edgecombe is fully aware he has tons of NBA-specific knowledge to gain. The 20-year-old has recently been asking teammates about how to prepare for the Sixers’ upcoming preseason trip to Abu Dhabi. Edgecombe’s watched Tyrese Maxey’s shooting and marveled at his range and “muscle memory.” Over the summer, he was curious about “the fouls and physicality.”
“What is legal, what is not legal? It’s a different game from college, so I’m just trying to learn the rules,” Edgecombe said Friday. “That’s why I ask a lot of questions, especially if I’m trying to box (Drummond) out on a rebound or something like that. Little things like that … just trying to learn. I ask questions to everybody — literally anyone. I ask Justin (Edwards) questions, Jared (McCain), Tyrese, everybody. I’m just trying to get better.”
Since draft night, Edgecombe has worked to adapt to various aspects of NBA life. That includes his strength and conditioning habits. The 6-foot-4 guard said he’s gained a bit of muscle and is up to the 195 to 200-pound range.
“I’m just trying to find a routine and stick to that,” he said. “I’ve been lifting a lot more, lifting a lot of weight. I’m resting a lot. I’ve got to get my eight to 10 hours of sleep now. I’m taking recovery more seriously, to be honest with you.”
Edgecombe has also aimed to improve his outside shooting after going 34 percent behind the college line last season.
While he wasn’t a poor or unwilling shooter at Baylor, Edgecombe was fully on board with mechanical tweaks.
“I had a flat shot in college,” he said. “Now my arc is really good compared to where it was a month ago … and just more consistent. It’s crazy that it’s now rare for me to shoot flat. Now I know when my shot is flat.”
In terms of Edgecombe’s rookie role, Nurse said Friday he plans to use him both on and off the ball. Nurse can also envision Edgecombe “playing some three” and generally being a part of guard-heavy lineups that play a high-energy, fast-paced style.
Whatever the assignment, Edgecombe seems like he’ll roll with it (and ask about anything he needs to know).
“It’s basketball, at the end of the day,” he said. “I feel like everyone on the court is interchangeable, so whoever’s got the ball can bring it up. We have a lot of versatile guys. Sometimes I’m running, sometimes I’m bringing the ball up, sometimes I’m trailing. But I’m just out there trying to make winning plays.”
Embiid in the mix on Day 1
Joel Embiid emphasized at media day that his health is a day-by-day matter.
He shot jumpers following Day 1 of camp and Nurse confirmed that he took part in practice.
“He did participate,” Nurse said. “Everything right from the start was live and he was in there, participating in that stuff. He didn’t do everything, but he did quite a bit.
“I think he’s probably told you how he’s feeling, how he’s looking. He was moving good, playing hard and he had great spirit out there today.”
A Sixers official said Trendon Watford (right hamstring tightness) is day-to-day and that Paul George (left knee surgery) did an individual on-court workout.