MIAMI — Obviously, everything Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe does in the NBA right now is a first. He has handled all of those firsts with poise as he has been impressive in every sense of the word.
As the Sixers head into another huge matchup on Monday against the Miami Heat, they will need Edgecombe to step up and produce on both ends as he has all throughout this push for the playoffs at the moment.
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It’s not easy for any player to step up and produce at this stage with so much on the line every single night, let alone a 20 year old rookie. As Edgecombe gets ready to step in and contribute throughout this whole playoff run, he opened up on how he’s handling it all.
“Everybody’s fighting for seeding, but you can tell that it’s ramping up closer to playoff time,” said Edgecombe. “So, you get the feeling of kinda like early playoff games which can be helpful just because when you’re in the playoffs, obviously, it’s going to be a different intensity from the regular home game or regular away game. Our mindset doesn’t change. It’s about going in there to win every game and win every possession.”
The playoffs are a special time in the NBA. It’s when players become legends as they can go on special runs and etch their name into the lore of this great game. A real NBA lover and somebody who knows the history of this game, Edgecombe has watched games from the past to get a feel for what the playoffs will be like in a couple weeks. It’s a privilege to play in the postseason.
“Hell yeah,” Edgecombe added. “Obviously, it’s what every kid dreams of. Especially, when you make it to the NBA. You’re trying to play in the playoffs. You do wanna be a part of it. To this day, I’ll go back and watch playoffs from previous years. Just for the intensity, how exciting it is, how fun it looks.”
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Edgecombe is also on a team filled with veterans who have been there, done that in the playoffs. While he can turn to them and seek out their advice, he just wants to focus on the here and now for the moment. There is still work to be done over the final eight games.
“We’re focused on today’s game,” he said succinctly. “I’m not trying to look forward, because anything can happen in the next two, three weeks. I don’t talk to nobody about it for real.”
Then, Edgecombe pondered and singled out a single veteran he will talk about the playoffs with.
“I do talk to KLow (Kyle Lowry) about it,” he finished. “He’s a champion, but that’s the only one. You want to win a championship. That’s the feeling I wanna have. I don’t want a second-round exit. Or third-round exit. You want a championship exit. You want to win. So that’s the only person I’ve probably talked to about the NBA Playoffs.”
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The Sixers will take on the Heat on Monday in an important matchup with the winner earning the all-important tiebreaker in the standings.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers rookie discusses be a part of big playoff push for first time
