It started with the rook blowing up a play and being the first to dive on the floor. Down 1 with 10 seconds left against the Golden State Warriors, the 76ers’ highly touted first-round pick, VJ Edgecombe, scrambled to secure possession so that head coach Nick Nurse could call time. Thirty seconds later, he was inbounding the ball to his backcourt mate, Tyrese Maxey, who faded into a potential game-winning pull-up.
The shot was short, but there was VJ again, snagging the rock out of mid-air and laying it in for the lead. In a blink, the Warriors flung the ball up the court, setting things up for what seemed like a breakaway lay that would erase Philly’s last-second heroics. Except there was Tyrese, sending the shot off the backboard with a block to secure the win.
Those 10 seconds of play summed up a wave of excitement, confidence and belief that’s surging across South Philly, where one of the best young backcourts in the Eastern Conference is taking shape.
The signs were clear from the very start, when No. 0 and No. 77 set a League record for the most points—186 of ’em—ever scored by a starting backcourt through a team’s first three games. The season opener saw VJ set the 76ers record for a rookie debut with 34, while Tyrese poured in 40. In their win over the Knicks on January 3, “VJMaxx,” as social media has dubbed the duo, became the first pair of 76ers teammates to each record more than 25 points, four made threes and two blocks in the same game. They’re running pick-and-pops and dribble hand-offs for one another along the perimeter, forcing defenses to pick between two utterly lethal poisons. Like on December 30, when the Grizzlies sent two defenders at Tyrese, leaving VJ wide open for the game-winning three.
In his debut season, Edgecombe has already solidified his potential as a future All-Star and co-star of an East Coast juggernaut, averaging 16.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 dimes and 1.6 steals a game. His commitment to hustle plays and his otherworldly athleticism to lock up the little things has endeared him to an entire city and fan base that’s gleefully soaking in the charisma and energy that flows from his mere presence and infectious smile.
Meanwhile, 25-year-old Maxey is posting career-highs across the board with 30.9 points, 6.8 assists and 4.5 boards per game, while shooting 47.7 percent from the field. Through just 35 games (as of press time), he’s already had 18 contests with at least 30 points, including a 54-piece against Milwaukee. In his sixth season, the game has drastically slowed down. An added layer of deceleration through the lane has opened up a world of mid-air opportunities for acrobatic lays at the cup and dishes to corner shooters or rollers.
With Edgecombe and Maxey on the floor together, defenses are left helpless. It didn’t take long for the League’s next great backcourt to assert its dominance. Less than half a season, to be exact.
And during a road trip up north to Toronto, Philly’s star duo sat down to discuss their growing connectivity and what’s in store for their future together.
Jared ebanks 