VJ Edgecombe is here to save the Sixers from despair

Welcome to Upside and Motor, a weekly NBA Draft column dedicated to analyzing the next wave of basketball stars, from blue blood sensations to those flying under the radar.

The Philadelphia 76ers are no strangers to uncertainty. Their 2024-25 campaign was shrouded in the stuff. Joel Embiid was essentially day-to-day or week-to-week for half the season until the Sixers finally shut him down. Jared McCain, famously, suffered a torn meniscus when all signs pointed to a potential concussion. We don't really know how that happened. Paul George missed time. Tyrese Maxey did, too. Half the season was spent wondering, "when can this team get everyone on the floor together?" The other half was spent wondering, "can Philly keep its top-five protected draft pick?"

In the end, the answer to the last question was a resounding yes. In fact, by some miracle, the Sixers — with the fifth-worst record and a top-five protection on their pick — leapt up to No. 3 despite two teams with worse odds also jumping into the top three. A true statistical anomaly. Some may even call it a divine gift, the basketball gods taking pity on this cursed franchise.

The result of that No. 3 overall pick was Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe. There was plenty of debate around who the Sixers' best option was — Rutgers' Ace Bailey was popular in many circles, while others took an interest in Texas sharpshooter Tre Johnson or even South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles. Okay fine, I was the only one interested in Collin Murray-Boyles. But Edgecombe was the pick, and Philadelphia sent out strong signals to that effect very early in the pre-draft process. Typically, Daryl Morey likes to play the draft close to the vest, but Edgecombe was the only lottery prospect Philadelphia actually worked out. Bailey was scheduled for a workout at one point, but he dropped out. In rather infamous fashion.

Since Edgecombe walked across the stage and put on his Sixers hat, it has been nothing but positive vibes. The franchise around him is in complete disarray and it's unclear what exactly we can expect from Philadelphia in 2025-26, but Edgecombe is doing his part to raise spirits and restore optimism in the future. It's not just the fans who are excited either. His coaches and teammates have nothing but rave reviews.

VJ Edgecombe has been the star of Sixers training camp so far

ESPN's Brian Windhorst went on The Hoop Collective Podcast last week and relayed tales of high praise for Edgecombe in the Sixers locker room.

"As I talked to some of the veterans that I know, there's a lot of excitement about VJ Edgecombe,” Windhorst said (h/t The Sixer Sense). “We all know that athletically, he is extremely gifted. There has been a pleasant surprise so far in training camp and the workouts leading up to it about how his shooting has looked. That his shooting has shown good improvement.”

This comes not long after Joel Embiid, Philadelphia's franchise cornerstone and the rusty hinge upon which their entire season hangs, spoke with uncommon sincerity about what he views as parallels between Edgecombe and himself.

"I like his background, he kind of reminds me of myself coming from another country... he's an amazing kid."

More than his on-court talent, Edgecombe has all the intangibles you could ask for in a top draft pick. He's preternaturally gifted — already one of the best athletes in the NBA — but he never coasts on physical talent alone. Edgecombe has an incredible appetite for improvement. He has already showcased meaningful growth since arriving in Philadelphia, whether it's his playmaking at Summer League or is shooting in camp.

Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain, in particular, have bonded quickly with Edgecombe. There's a synergy there — three extremely competitive, driven young guards who bring effervescently positive energy to the gym. As the Sixers look to put past misery behind them, this next generation needs to establish a culture of cohesion. It feels like Edgecombe, in unison with Maxey and McCain, might actually bring the Philadelphia locker room together.

"He likes to work, he's kind of like Jared," Maxey told reporters. "I think those two are a good start to the culture we're trying to build."

Maxey went on the praise Edgecombe's competitiveness on the court, in live action.

"I see a competitor, man," Maxey said. "I see someone who really, really likes to compete. He has a skillset that a lot of people could have, but done have, which is playing extremely hard on both ends of the court."

To quote Sixers legend T.J. McConnell, "playing hard is a skill." Edgecombe has that skill.

VJ Edgecombe backs up his praise on the court

Edgecombe was absolutely dazzling in his all-too-brief Summer League appearances for the Sixers. His first "real" test, however, came with back-to-back games against the Knicks in Abu Dhabi. We shan't put too much stock into preseason basketball, but it was Edgecombe's debut against genuine NBA competition. The Knicks' defense is no joke, but the rookie looked right at home. We are going to see a lot more wow plays like this before the 2025-26 season is out.

He didn't complete this dunk, but just look at how high Edgecombe is — and from how far out he decided to test notorious shot-blocking superathlete Mitchell Robinson.

Edgecombe averaged 12 points, four rebounds and four assists in 27.5 minutes against New York. He didn't shoot it terribly well (2-of-10 from deep), but the volume alone is an encouraging sign, especially when he made all eight of his free throw attempts. Edgecombe was a perfectly adequate spot-up shooter at Baylor and that should translate to the NBA.

The real point of emphasis for scouts in the pre-draft process was Edgecombe's off-the-dribble repertoire. Edgecombe was primarily an off-guard at Baylor. His explosive first step allowed him to beat closeouts and apply pressure on the rim on straight-line drives, but Edgecombe wasn't exactly a proficient ball-handler. He struggled against pressure and was extremely inefficient on pull-up jumpers, which were a small, small part of his shot diet.

Well, Edgecombe made a concerted effort to take a lot of pull-up middies in Summer League, which looked smooth. To the point where Anthony Edwards comparisons started to crop up. We should pump the breaks a little bit, but watching Edgecombe bring the ball up, snake through screens and step fluidly into pull-up jumpers just a month after being drafted was jarring. That was not something he featured with much success at Baylor.

Nick Nurse has said that Edgecombe will oscillate between the one and the three this season. Philadelphia is going to stagger him with Tyrese Maxey and give Edgecombe the opportunity to run point — especially while Jared McCain nurses his way back from a thumb injury. That is uncharted territory for Edgecombe, but he looks up to the task. He has always been a smart connective passer, but watching the 20-year-old make reads like this, well, it changes the calculus.

Edgecombe has done just about everything right since the Sixers picked him in June. He has connected with his teammates. He has shown a vast capacity for individual improvement. He's starting preseason games (although the Sixers are far from 100 percent on the health front). Nick Nurse has not always been the quickest to embrace young players, but it feels like Edgecombe will be thrown into the fire early and often. Philadelphia understands that, in order to reach its competitive ceiling, Edgecombe needs to show up and show out. You don't pick someone third overall unless there is genuine belief in a potential star outcome. The Sixers are in a unique position with older All-Stars and a win-now mandate, but that does not change the fact that Edgecombe was drafted because Philadelphia expects greatness.

Right now, if there is a force for good strong enough to save Philadelphia from this interminable basketball purgatory, it's probably Edgecombe. It's been a while since a Sixers rookie inspired this much confidence. We can't get too far ahead of ourselves, of course, but something feels different about this season, in large part due to Edgecombe's galvanizing presence. That doesn't mean the Sixers are going to win a championship, but hopefully it means the tide is turning in the right direction.

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