Will VJ Edgecombe reach his full potential while the Sixers figure out what Joel Embiid has left in tank?

At the conclusion of the press conference following the 76ers’ loss to the visiting Boston Celtics on Friday, Nick Nurse was asked what he sees with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe together in the backcourt.

When he finished talking, one had the impression that the Sixers are fully aware of the heights to which the duo can take them.

“I think there’s a great combination there,” Nurse said. “I think they’re similar in that they both get pretty explosive first steps to get by. Obviously, Tyrese is a great three-point shooter. He has a few years on him. But I think it’s a good combination when they can both play on and off the ball. I think they have played extremely well together, and I think that relationship will continue to grow, and they’ll learn a lot of how they can play off each other. It’s very exciting.”

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Nurse continued to say that Edgecombe, the third pick in June’s NBA draft, has obviously been a surprise. And for the past five seasons, dating back to his time coaching the Toronto Raptors, he has raved about how special Maxey is.

They weren’t garden-variety compliments. They were close to a pledge of allegiance.

Shortly after the Sixers (4-1) drafted Edgecombe, some questioned his ability to be a season-opening starter. But Nurse didn’t just make him a starter; the coach made him a primary ballhandler and encouraged him to shoot three-pointers — things naysayers said he would struggle at.

Those critics were silenced on opening night at Boston, when Edgecombe scored 34 points while making 5-of-13 three-pointers in the third-highest scoring debut in NBA history.

And Nurse’s comments to conclude Friday’s postgame press conference gave reporters a sense that developing the Maxey-Edgecombe tandem could be the key to a prosperous future.

Five games into the season, the duo has put the NBA on notice.

Maxey and Edgecombe appeared on Inside the NBA on Wednesday. In addition, multiple national podcasters and sports television personalities have raved over their early-season impact and potential.

But what does all this mean for Joel Embiid?

The 7-foot-2, 280-pound center is the most accomplished Sixers player since Allen Iverson. A fan favorite in his own right, Embiid is the 2023 NBA MVP, a seven-time All-Star, and a two-time scoring champion. Yet, he’s a shell of himself while returning from April’s knee surgery. It was the second surgery on his left knee in 14 months and the third in nine years.

Friday’s 109-108 loss at Xfinity Mobile Arena was perhaps Embiid’s best performance of his four games played this season. He finished with 20 points on 6-for-14 shooting to go with season highs of seven rebounds and two blocks in a season-high 25 minutes, 4 seconds.

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But he still has a ways to go in terms of consistency.

Embiid scored eight of his points on 2-of-3 shooting and went 3-for-3 from the foul line in the first quarter. However, he missed all four of his shot attempts while being held scoreless in the second quarter. Embiid followed that up by scoring nine points on 4-for-5 shooting in the third quarter. Then, in the fourth, the 31-year-old missed his two shot attempts. His second one was a potential game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds.

And while he’s shown improvement, Embiid was still a step slow on the defensive end and had a tough time rebounding.

Maxey finished with a team-high 26 points and season highs of 14 assists and two blocks. He leads the league in scoring (35.2 points per game), is fourth in assists (9.4), and is tied for third in three-pointers made (22).

Edgecombe still leads all rookies in scoring (21.2 points), assists (5.4), and minutes (40.2) after finishing with 17 points and five assists in 39:44 in Friday’s NBA Cup loss against the Celtics (3-4).

But for the second straight game, Edgecombe could have had a larger impact.

Edgecombe only took one shot in the fourth quarter — a three-pointer that pulled the Sixers within two points with 51.4 seconds remaining. There also were stretches in which he got lost in the offense, despite shooting 7-of-11 from the field.

This comes after his first shot attempt, a missed three-pointer, didn’t come until 4:07 left in the first half of Tuesday’s 139-134 overtime road victory over the Washington Wizards.

Even though Edgecombe has the potential to be an elite combination guard, he won’t fully play to his potential alongside Embiid — at least not right now.

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At this time, the Sixers need to know if Embiid can still be the same dominant player of seasons past. And Embiid’s an offensive-minded player. So you know more often than not, he’s looking to score. And that will come at a price to the games of some of his teammates.

Edgecombe should get his share of scoring opportunities on Sunday with Embiid missing Sunday’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center because of injury recovery.

The best thing for the Sixers to do is manage Edgecombe’s minutes so he stays on the floor and becomes more impactful during the stretches when Embiid is out. That will enable everyone to get enough shots to impact a game.

But Edgecombe has already established that he’s a good player who plays hard. People criticized his jumper. Yet, he’s shooting 43.8% on three-pointers and 49.4% from the field. And his game should only get better.

As a rookie, Edgecombe is still trying to figure things out. While he looked lost at times in the past two games, it’s hard to say he needs to be more aggressive. These were his first five games in the NBA. He has yet to face elite defenders or teams that use a variety of tactics to deny him.

Everything right now is a learning experience for him.

But that’s the thing. It would be beneficial long-term for him and the Sixers to experience this now as a primary offensive option. It might take him longer to go through those growing pains if Embiid still is the focal point of the offense.

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