Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe secured the label of the ultimate upside player in the weeks leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft. Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper were viewed as sure things, but Edgecombe's late rise to No. 3 overall was built on the unavoidable appeal of his untapped potential.
76ers head coach Nick Nurse has been happy to learn that Edgecombe is significantly closer to realizing his potential than even the coaching staff expected him to be.
Edgecombe turned in a stellar 2024-25 season with the Baylor Bears, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors. There were still clear signs of inconsistency, however, which fueled narratives that often implied that he might not yet be ready to play with the ball in his hands in the NBA.
According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Nurse was excited to explore Edgecombe's potential on the ball but never expected him to be as ready as he is for the responsibility.
“I think we thought, ‘OK, maybe he could play on the ball some,’ and we were talking about, ‘Let’s do it at summer league,’” coach Nick Nurse said after a 126-110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the preseason finale. “But where we’re at, I think he’s way ahead of where we thought he might be, being able to do that.”
Edgecombe has been at the heart of endless conversations about his undeniable upside, but Nurse is shining a light on how significant his immediate value already is.
Nick Nurse didn't expect VJ Edgecombe to be this good with the ball
Edgecombe, 20, made no shortage of waves at Summer League. He dropped 28 points and 10 rebounds in his first game with Philadelphia in Salt Lake City, and looked comfortable in a playmaking role throughout his early auditions for fan approval.
Edgecombe carried that success into the preseason, with a 26-point performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves and a five-assist outing versus the New York Knicks.
It's still likely that Edgecombe's most reliable value will be as a tenacious defender and willing floor-spacer during his rookie season. What he's already begun to prove, however, is that he's more than just a project player who still needs to add skills to his repertoire.
Instead, Edgecombe already has a deep skill set on his side—meaning all that's left is refining what's already in place.
That's compelling information for the 76ers to weigh into their plans given the presence of three All-Stars in Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey. It's even more intriguing to consider when factoring in Quentin Grimes, who averaged 21.9 points and 4.5 assists in 28 games with Philadelphia in 2024-25.
If Edgecombe can even occasionally go off as a scorer while providing consistent value as a playmaker and closeout-attacking wing, the 76ers could be in store for overachievement.
Edgecombe's raw athleticism and defensive instincts should already keep him on the court long enough for touches to come his way. On an injury-plagued team that will need the supporting cast to step up and alleviate some of the burden from the stars, regular playing time bodes well for the rookie's offensive opportunities.
Based on how Nurse is reacting to Edgecombe's offensive readiness, it's safe to assume the rookie will make believers out of whichever critics he has left in 2025-26.