76ers learned a crucial lesson only Summer League could teach about their youth

This was supposed to be the Philadelphia 76ers’ most important Summer League campaign since Markelle Fultz debuted in 2017. However, V.J. Edgecombe sustained a left thumb injury after making his entrance against the Utah Jazz – which is pretty much a canon event for any 76ers rookie at this point. Although he played just two games, there’s still plenty to take away from him and Philadelphia’s other young prospects who were on display. So, let’s dive in!

Edgecombe only played two games

As I was saying, Edgecombe’s debut was electric and undoubtedly amongst the best in 76ers Summer League history. Squaring up against Ace Bailey, Edgecombe notched 28 points on 13-27 shooting from the field – compared to Bailey’s eight points. Philadelphia’s rookie also poured in 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Considering all of the drama that came with him, Bailey, and the 76ers’ third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, you couldn’t have plotted a better introduction. 

Then, it was announced that he suffered a left thumb sprain that sidelined him for Philadelphia’s next four games – shocker. He returned against the Washington Wizards on July 15th, but this was another case where the sequel wasn’t as good as the original – looking at you Spider-Verse movies. Edgecombe went scoreless in the first half but finished with 15 points on 4-14 shooting from the field. He also produced six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

He still looked very good

So, what do we make of only two appearances? Well, Edgecombe came exactly as advertised between the jaw-dropping athleticism and intensity on both ends of the floor. He stuck to his man like glue when defending off the point-of-attack, supplied weak-side help in doses, and read passing lanes at a high level. He’s one of the unique two-way players who make watching defense super fun.

What stood out the most offensively was his usage as an on-ball creator. Heading into the Summer League, he told the media he wanted to work on initiating offense and we saw a good bit of that. Typically, he adjusted to coverages accordingly, whether it was drawing defenders to create space for the pop-man or trying to take advantage of drop coverage with pull-ups. The Baylor product aimed to frequently target the rim and the results were mixed. You could see how his mix of speed and athleticism can morph him into an elite slasher who can draw contact, but he did force some action off the point-of-attack.

Still, Edgecombe picked his spots relatively well and knew where to be off the ball. He was most effective feeding off Philadelphia’s defensive playmaking by leaking out in transition and getting up close and personal with the rim. If there was one weakness displayed, it was his perimeter shooting as he shot 15.4% from deep. The shooting simply wasn’t there, but he didn’t hesitate to let it fly, knew where to relocate, and most of his misses weren’t egregious. 

Grade: A-

Broome swept me off my feet

When the 76ers drafted Johni Broome, I didn’t know how to feel due to his subpar athleticism and spotty perimeter shooting. After the Summer League, I’m more confident about his ability to contribute some spot minutes for them next season. It’s too early to say he’ll be a mainstay in their rotation since those two boxes still need to be checked off when it counts. Regardless, Philadelphia’s rookie big did what he was supposed to this summer and did it well.

Broome operated a lot smoother in pick-and-pops than anticipated – looking very confident as a spot-up shooter around the top of the key and wings. The Auburn product was often used as an initiator for hand-offs, which is something he did at a high level. He found collegiate success as a post-scorer and after taking a bit to adjust to fringe NBA-level physicality, he showcased his inside repertoire in the 76ers’ last few games. Between the two-man actions and post touches, he could add a versatile element to their front-court.

The defensive end is where I’m indifferent. Considering the questionable athleticism, Broome kept up well laterally when defending in space. He was good enough dropping against screen actions, could hold his own switching a screen, and applied solid closeouts. Overall, he was okay defensively, which isn’t a bad sign by any means. It’s more the fact that he was decent enough against Summer League talent. This makes me so-so when projecting how it’ll translate against NBA bigs.

Grade: B+

The second-year guys

Fresh off solid rookie campaigns, Justin Edwards and Adem Bona sought further development since they’ll likely be main components of Philadelphia’s rotation. Summer League is a unique opportunity for players like Edwards and Bona to sharpen their weaknesses. Although neither player truly impressed, there’s still some stuff to take away. It’s also worth noting that each of them are play-finishers by nature and the drawbacks exposed this summer probably won’t matter come October.

Within the Las Vegas circuit, Bona produced 7.7 points per game on 55.0% shooting from the field. He also tallied 6.3 rebounds per game and 3.7 blocks per game, which as it stands, ranks second in the Summer League. Bona appeared more confident as an off-the-dribble threat – improving the fake handoff move fans have grown to adore. He also supplied his usual elite help-side defense. Unfortunately, his untamed foul discipline and live-ball turnovers were equally as prevalent.

Grade: C+

In Las Vegas, Edwards notched 12.3 points per game on 33.3% shooting from the field and 40.9% accuracy from deep. The main reason for his struggles is that he was highly used as an on-ball creator rather than the spot-up shooting role he’s grown accustomed to. He struggled to scan the floor off the dribble and often forced tough shots within the arc. Still, the biggest thing to pay attention to is the near-41% from three, which is all that matters right now.

Grade: C-

If your attention span isn’t vanquished by this point, I also went in-depth on two of Philadelphia’s two-way players who played. Hunter Sallis’ struggles were covered here and Dominick Barlow’s strong two-game impression was touched on here.