The Philadelphia 76ers made the somewhat controversial decision to select Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick in last month's NBA Draft. That was more or less the right decision in my estimation, but there's a reason so many fans wanted Ace Bailey. The Sixers are chock full of quality guards right now and precariously thin in the frontcourt.
Edgecombe will join a backcourt that already features Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and (presumably) Quentin Grimes, who is expected to re-sign as a restricted free agent.
Maxey is an All-Star. McCain only has 23 games under his belt, but he was far and away the best rookie in the NBA last season before tearing his meniscus. Grimes arrived in Philly at the deadline and averaged 21.9 points on 59.2 percent true shooting as the No. 1 option for an injury-battered lineup.
That's a lot of good guards. None of them are true point guards, only some of them are plus defenders, but there is a lot of wonderful two-way skills packaged between those four players. Philadelphia will need to think long and hard about the future of their crowded backcourt, but there is also plenty to be excited about. These guys should all spend ample time playing together.
Let's break down the short and long-term outlooks.
Power ranking 76ers guards by projected 2025-26 impact
4. VJ Edgecombe
This is tough. The starting lineup is far from settled, but I'd imagine Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe all start together, with Jared McCain as the sixth man. But in terms of overall impact next season, Edgecombe has the furthest to go. He's still developing his guard skills and it's unclear how well he can shoot or finish out of the gate.
Edgecombe's defense will carry a lot of water for Philadelphia, a team starve for quality stoppers, but even so, Edgecombe figures to go through all the standards hurdles of an NBA rookie. He dominanted his Summer League debut, showcasing more ball-handling and pull-up shooting than we saw at Baylor, but it's generally wise to project rookies with baked-in caution. The other three guards are more proven. It's that simple.
3. Quentin Grimes
Quentin Grimes was unconscious down the stretch for Philadelphia, but he figures to scale back into more of a supporting role with a healthier roster around him. That's not to say last season was a flash in the pan — Grimes' shot-making and decisive ball-handling was all very convincing — but he just won't have carte blanche within the offense anymore. Still, he's one of Philadelphia's best defenders, he's the perfect two-man tango partner for Joel Embiid, and his forthcoming contract will all but guarantee a spot in the starting lineup.
2. Jared McCain
Maybe we are putting too much stock into 23 games. McCain is probably coming off the bench and he's easily the worst defender of the bunch. But man, he was impressive last season before the injury. The Sixers' tank didn't begin in full until McCain went down. That's because he was good enough to elevate the pieces around him.
McCain is the best shooter on Philadelphia's roster and that gives him immense value in a rotation still, hypothetically, built around a "healthy" Joel Embiid. He is also the most polished playmaker of the bunch, operating with incredible poise and feel as a ball-handler. What he lacks in burst, McCain makes up for with dexterity and strength. He can absorb contact, leverage his weight to create advantages, and finish with absurd touch around the paint.
Scalable between on and off-ball duties and just remarkably intelligent for a 21-year-old, McCain will make his impact felt with the second unit and end up closing a lot of games.
1. Tyrese Maxey
Not much to add here. Tyrese Maxey is an All-Star and is nicknamed 'The Franchise.' Before the injury last season, he averaged 26.2 points and 6.1 assists on 56.2 percent true shooting. His efficiency was way down compared to his career norms, but that was circumstantial more than anything else. Maxey is a deadeye shooter, a remarkably quick open-court athlete and one of the nuttiest at-rim finishing guards in the NBA.
Power ranking 76ers guards by long-term upside
4. Quentin Grimes
Grimes will probably sign a four-year contract this summer, tying him for Philadelphia for the foreseeable future. He's still young at 25, too. But he's also the oldest of the bunch. There will come a time when Jared McCain needs to be extended, which might coincide with the final year of Grimes' contract. I would not be shocked if Grimes is traded before it reaches that point. He's a cool talent and if last season was any indication, there are productive years ahead. But his ceiling lies well below Philadelphia's three first-round picks in the backcourt.
3. Jared McCain
I'll hedge my bets here since McCain is the weakest link defensively. His blend of shooting touch, IQ and overall skill on offense is mighty compelling. There's a world in which McCain is the best player from this group in a few years. But with Maxey as the more established option and Edgecombe as the better college prospect (and a much, much better defender), McCain gets the short end of the stick for now. He could make this look dumb as soon as next season, but he will need to show that last season's playmaking and shooting efficiency is sustainable at significant volume while substantially improving on the other end of the court.
2. Tyrese Maxey
Maxey is so far long already. His blend of 3-point volume and straight-line speed makes it incredibly tough on the opposing defense. Maxey has gotten to the point where he's comfortable launching pull-ups well behind the arc. If the defender closes out aggressively, he can put two feet in the paint effortlessly. Maxey's balance and strength allows him to uncork some truly wild finishes. He can plow full-speed into traffic and contort his body in ways only a select few humans on earth can.
He has a ways to go as a playmaker for teammates, but Maxey is a special scorer whose efficiency numbers will perk up with more help around him. The defense will never be elite, but Maxey made meaningful strides last season, becoming a depenable on-ball stopper in most matchups.
1. VJ Edgecombe
This has the potential to age poorly. Edgecombe easily has the widest range of possible outcomes, as he's the one we know the least about. That Summer League debut in Salt Lake City was impressively, but I'd caution anyone against taking a single Summer League game to the bank. Edgecombe, the No. 6 prospect on FanSided's draft board, was by and large the most impactful non-Cooper Flagg freshman in college basketball last season. The foundation is strong. But there are a few reasonable concerns, too.
Edgecombe is a monster on defense. It shouldn't take him long to emerge as Philadelphia's best perimeter defender, if he hasn't already. The defensive playmaking, from passing lane interceptions to weak-side blocked shots, will give the Sixers a much-needed charge on that end of the floor. Especially if Embiid can return to anything approximating his pre-injury impact.
Offensively, Edgecombe is a passable 3-point shooter with an excellent feel for the game and a well-documented work ethic. He's a one percent athlete. The elite first step, strength and vertical pop gives him immense upside as a driver. We are still waiting for Edgecombe to improve as a self-creator and a finisher against traffic, but he has all the tools to get there. If he can add a dependable pull-up middy to his bag — something we saw plenty of in his SL debut — a lot will fall into place. He takes the crown for pure upside, even if there are more questions than with others on this list.