Explore the latest developments concerning VJ Edgecombe outpacing.
VJ Edgecombe outpacing Sixers expectations — and bringing his lofty goals into view
The Sixers used Edgecombe as the primary ball handler on Friday and that opened things up for Tyrese Maxey. âHe makes good decisions,â Maxey said.
So on Friday, they took the ball out of Tyrese Maxeyâs hands and made Edgecombe the primary ballhandler in an exhibition game, even though dribbling was a supposed weakness for the rookie.
âI think we thought, âOK, maybe he could play on the ball some,â and we were talking about, âLetâs do it at summer league,ââ coach Nick Nurse said after a 126-110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the preseason finale. âBut where weâre at, I think heâs way ahead of where we thought he might be, being able to do that.â
Edgecombe acts like ‘he's been here before' and it's not hard to see sky-high ceiling
There’s an illogical nature to VJ Edgecombe’s brand of athleticism.
He’s blending in, one of 10 players in the routine flow of a perfectly normal game. Then he snaps up a steal no one saw coming. He bursts through a crowd. His head’s near the rim.
“It’s almost every single day,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said last Friday, “that you see something from his athleticism where you’re like, ‘Wow, how did he get from here to there?’”
As Edgecombe enters his first NBA regular season — he’s expected to start the Sixers’ opener Wednesday night against the Celtics — it’s natural to wonder how rapidly he’ll rise.
1pc 1.8QT Electric Kettle, US Plug, Temperature Control With 7 Heat Settings & LED Display, (1100W) , Kitchen and home
Even 76ers head coach Nick Nurses is blown away by VJ Edgecombe
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.