Tonight, the Philadelphia 76ers came within inches of a storybook comeback win against the Boston Celtics, but unfortunately, went down 109-108. However, under the bright lights of the NBA Cup’s opening night, Philly’s young backcourt looked poised, with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe working hard to keep the Sixers in it late. Though they lost, the rookie next to Joel Embiid proved that the franchise’s future might already be here.

Edgecombe has been especially hard to ignore. Through his first five career games, the 20-year-old Bahamian has joined legendary guards Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as the only players in NBA history to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

It’s the kind of all-around impact that takes years to craft, but Edgecombe’s doing it before his name is ev

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