The buzz around the Sixers’ upcoming season is absolutely insane, and yeah, most of it is thanks to the monumental additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. But trust me, a huge chunk of that excitement needs to be reserved for the 21-year-old VJ Edgecombe heading into his second year. Expectations are always sky-high in this league, especially for young talent, but for Edgecombe, “sky-high” might even be an understatement.
The 2025 No. 3 Pick Showed Up Big Time
This kid, the 2025 No. 3 overall pick, gave us so many glimpses of absolute star quality during his rookie season. We’re talking high-flying dunks that make your jaw drop, incredible athleticism, and brilliantly clutch buckets when the game was on the line. He wasn’t just playing; he was *starting* 75 games, throwing down 16.0 points, grabbing 5.6 boards, dishing out 4.2 assists, and snatching 1.4 steals every single night. And get this: he played a ridiculous 2623.3 minutes in the regular season, which was the 11th most in the *entire league*. Think about that for a second. An unproven 20-year-old on the floor more than almost anyone in the NBA? That’s just wild.
He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, right behind Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, proving he belonged. Edgecombe displayed skill, game intelligence, and athleticism notably beyond his years. Honestly, he was doing things on an NBA floor that very few 20-year-olds are able to accomplish, even when going up against some of the biggest stars and toughest teams in the league. There’s zero reason to think he can’t do it again this season; if anything, he should be even better.
Why Playing With Superstars Only Makes Him Better
There’s been some weird chatter, some strange speculation out there that playing alongside one of the greatest basketball players of all time in LeBron James and another top league star in Jaylen Brown will somehow *stunt* Edgecombe’s development. I vehemently disagree with that noise. Seriously, I’ve already written a whole thing about it, and my bottom line is simple: Edgecombe’s opportunity for development in year two only looks more promising now than it did a few months ago. With this new-look lineup, he’s gonna have so much room to do what he does best.
He’s an off-ball scorer who can slice through opposing defenses and find open space for those catch-and-shoot buckets. Imagine the real estate he’s gonna have out there! Any of the other four guys in the starting five could draw a double-team at any time, leaving Edgecombe wide open. It’s gonna be awesome to see him use that opportunity to solidify his catch-and-shoot numbers and really lock in his spot-up shooting. He was good at it in year one, no doubt, but sometimes a little erratic with consistency. This season, that’s primed to change.
The stage is set for VJ Edgecombe to absolutely erupt. Keep your eyes peeled as the season kicks off; we’re about to see a star take his next giant step. This is gonna be fun to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Liberty Ballers.
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