PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers have a ton of championship experience up and down the roster in the form of LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as they have combined to win seven championships in their respective careers. It would make sense for those three to set the tone for the Sixers when the time calls for it.

On the flip side, the Sixers have some confident young players who can step up and be leaders as well. Specifically, second-year guard VJ Edgecombe who has made his voice heard in the midst of all the experience and veterans around him.

"VJ has been great," Joel Embiid stated of Edgecombe. "I kind of put it on him a little bit early on this summer and I talked to him and I had a conversation and I told him, I was like, ‘I know we have a bunch of new guys coming in, veteran guys …’ but from the moment that he's walked in here, I just felt like I said it last year, he's the future of this team and then he has all the qualities to be a leader."

Embiid has been one of the leaders for the Sixers over the past few years, but has never been one to be vocal. He is more of a lead-by-example type of person, and Edgecombe's voice and barking out orders have been helpful in terms of establishing himself in this league and within this team's ecosystem.

"It starts now," Embiid added. "It doesn't matter who's the one and how old all of us are. I feel like that's something that he can do, and he's been doing a great job just being vocal and getting guys together. Obviously, we know how talented he is and how much potential he has, but his time is coming. But as far as leadership, he's been everything and more."

Edgecombe may not have the season he had as a rookie when considering the talent around him, but Philadelphia will certainly be able to lean on him to be one of the pillars of the franchise as it moves forward in the season.