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V. J. Edgecombe's big night makes Daryl Morey look smarter than ever

With V.J. Edgecombe playing great and Jared McCain sitting the bench, Daryl Morey's decision to trade the latter is aging better by the day.
ByMat Issa|
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Philadelphia 76ers v Boston Celtics - Game Two
Philadelphia 76ers v Boston Celtics - Game Two | Adam Glanzman/GettyImages

Key Points

Bullet point summary by AI

  • The Philadelphia 76ers are facing off against the Boston Celtics in a crucial playoff series, and stole Game 2 after a crushing loss in Game 1.
  • Rookie VJ Edgecombe delivered a career-defining performance in the Game 2 win, showcasing why he was selected so high in the recent draft.
  • This breakout game not only shifted the momentum of the series but also validated a controversial trade decision by Daryl Morey.

On Tuesday, V.J. Edgecombe had the first of what will (hopefully) be many monster playoff eruptions for him. In just over 35 minutes, Edgecombe tallied 30 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and two steals on 12-of-20 shooting from the floor. The Philadelphia 76ers were a plus-17 in his minutes in a game they improbably ended up winning by 14 points.

Not only did this game signal that the 76ers are not going to rollover and let the Boston Celtics walk all over them in this series, but it also demonstrated why Edgecombe is a ROY Finalist, and a legitimate ascending star in this league.

VJ Edgecombe is proving Daryl Morey right

If you happened to glance at the headline of this post before you clicked on this post (man, I sure hope so), you know that his Edgecombe spotlight comes with a Daryl Morey angle.

Of course, Morey, as the team's President of Basketball Operations, was the head of the braintrust that chose to select Edgecombe with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, despite the likes of Kon Knueppel and Ace Bailey also being available. Seeing as though both of those young men are at home watching the postseason while he is balling out, that seems to be a pretty solid choice.

But that isn't what we are talking about right now. During the 2025 Trade Deadline, Morey and the front office decided to trade their 2024 first round pick, Jared McCain, for a 2026 first round pick and three second round picks. Since then, fans across the league have been mocking Morey for his decision.

Well, when you think about it, McCain was never going to surpass Tyrese Maxey on the depth chart, and with how great Edgecombe has looked as a rookie, the second-year guard would be, at best, a sixth man on the next great 76ers team. Is a sixth man of the future worth a first round pick and three second rounders? I'd say probably somewhere around that.

Jared McCain is not playing for Thunder in the Playoffs

Notice how we said that McCain would be "at best" a sixth man for Philadelphia? Despite some monster moments in the regular season, McCain does not even really figure into the Oklahoma City Thunder's roster now that they are whole again.

In Game 1, McCain logged 8.5 minutes. However, 7.5 of those minutes came in the fourth quarter after the game was well out of reach. Meanwhile, in Game 2, McCain did not play at all during the competitive portion of that one.

Of course, Oklahoma City is probably the deepest team in basketball. On most teams, McCain would carry a much more consistent role in the postseason.

Even then, given all the promise Edgecombe has flashed, it seems like Morey was right to move McCain, and prioritize building around him and Maxey moving forward.

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