It's been hard for Philadelphia 76ers fans to stay positive lately, but VJ Edgecombe has encouraged them to keep trying. However, it's not only fans who anticipate Edgecombe’s arrival.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN revealed on The Hoop Collective Friday that Philadelphia is excited about what Edgecombe could provide in his rookie season and his development is potentially ahead of schedule. Edgecombe has one preseason game under his belt and has a chance to improve leading into the regular season.
“As I talked to some of the veterans that I know, there's a lot of excitement about VJ Edgecombe,” Windhorst said. “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.”
Edgecombe’s swing factor is shooting
Edgecombe’s shooting ability will likely dictate his role this season. If he can provide adequate spacing and defensive playmaking, he’ll seamlessly fit alongside the 76ers’ star tandem of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George.
Philadelphia’s guard rotation will become increasingly competitive once Quentin Grimes and Jared McCain join the fold. If Edgecombe struggles to shoot the ball, McCain and Grimes will receive more minutes in all likelihood.
This is why Edgecombe's making a strong first impression, as he did, was critical. Granted, his reported success has taken place throughout training camp and he’ll need to prove himself as a deep threat when it counts.
When gauging various Edgecombe scouting reports, fans likely discovered that his perimeter marksmanship was questionable. He shot 34% from beyond the arc on 4.6 attempts per game in his lone season at Baylor.
Many were quick to scoff at his subpar perimeter output without realizing his situation with the Bears. Aside from Edgecombe, only guard Robert Wright III averaged north of three assists for Baylor. Without adequate advantage creation, Edgecombe didn’t receive many quality spot-up three opportunities.
Edgecombe showed something on Thursday
It’s reasonable to assume Edgecombe’s shooting splits will improve when playing alongside the gravity of Philadelphia’s big three. However, that remains to be seen as Embiid and George missed the 76ers’ preseason-opening loss to the New York Knicks 99-84 on Thursday.
Instead, fans got their first look at a Maxey/Edgecombe back-court.
Edgecombe slotted in at starting shooting guard with McCain and Grimes sidelined. He tied Maxey as Philadelphia’s leading scorer with 14 points on 4-13 shooting, six rebounds, and three assists. Edgecombe displayed the athleticism and hints of on-ball brilliance that fans have fantasized about since the 76ers selected him with the third overall pick in the 2025 Draft.
However, there was one caveat – Edgecombe shot 1-6 from three-point land. Maxey and others generated open perimeter shots for Edgecombe, his attempts simply didn’t fall. He’ll likely remain a starter in Philadelphia’s rematch against the New York Knicks on Saturday as Grimes did not make the trip to Abu Dhabi.
Edgecombe needs to ace the rest of his audition to be a starter or the sixth man and to do so, he must build on his successful training camp and find success from beyond the arc.