It's been less than 48 hours since VJ Edgecombe was officially drafted third overall by the Philadelphia 76ers with the third overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. And yet, we're already seeing him do something similar to one of the NBA's biggest stars today in Luka Doncic. After being selected, Edgecombe announced that he would wear jersey number 77 since number seven is taken by Kyle Lowry. This is interestingly exactly how Doncic ended up with his now-famous number.
Back in 2018, Luka wanted to wear the number seven for the Dallas Mavericks as well, but it was already taken by Dwight Powell. As such, he was forced to take 77. It was his second choice, but it's now the number all NBA fans immediately associate him with. Perhaps the same will become true for VJ Edgecombe.
But at the end of the day, Edgecombe isn't here to try to copy Doncic. He's going to be bringing a versatile skillset to Philadelphia that will have the potential to eventually turn him into one of the franchise's cornerstones.
Edgecombe will also wear 77 instead of 7
Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 195 pounds, VJ Edgecombe was one of the most league-ready prospects in this class from a physical conditioning standpoint. He's unlike many young scoring guards in that he doesn't always need the ball in his hands to be effective. Edgecombe is a fantastic catch-and-shoot guy who moves well without the ball.
And of course, when he does have the ball in his hands, he's electric as well. He is extremely explosive off the dribble with incredible lateral quickness. Edgecombe doesn't mind contact and is a high-level finisher at the rim. And he's no slouch defensively either. VJ has a high IQ and maximizes his physical tools to frequently pick up steals and get deflections. He averaged 2.1 steals last season for Baylor.
When it comes to Edgecombe's main flaws, a lot of them are related to how his game is not fully fleshed out yet. He can be a bit sloppy at times when creating off the dribble, but these are mistakes that can easily be corrected over time with coaching.
Much like Luka Doncic. VJ Edgecombe is going to come in to his NBA career very league-ready. He may have chosen number 77 by default, but he's chasing the kind of greatness held by the man who wears that number in Los Angeles.