VJ Edgecombe is heading into his first season as an NBA player with high expectations on his shoulders. The Philadelphia 76ers drafted the impressive guard with the third overall pick. Now, the Sixers will likely look to him to prove that he can be a star of the future.
It would appear that FanDuel is also expecting Edgecombe to have a big year. The oddsmakers recently listed him fourth among incoming talent for the 2026 Rookie of the Year award. He has odds of +1300.
FanDuel has placed Edgecombe behind Dylan Harper, Tre Johnson and Cooper Flagg, all of whom will likely have more opportunities in terms of playing time and a featured role. Nevertheless, Edgecombe should be within touching distance of earning the coveted individual award by the end of his debut season with the Sixers.
The hope will also be that his presence, alongside Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain, can help keep the Sixers competitive, regardless of whether they deal with injuries to key contributors such as Joel Embiid and Paul George.
Paul George Sees Jimmy Butler in Edgecombe
In a July 10 episode of his “Podcast P” show, George likened Edgecombe’s style of play to that of Jimmy Butler.
“He’s got this little patent, one-two spin turnaround jumper…I thought he had a great showing, like enough for Philly to shut him down the rest of the summer…He’s got the dog in him. Watching him, it was like watching a young Jimmy. Moves like Jimmy, kind of, has that mid-range tenacity; he’s kind of got a lot of the Jimmy likeness to him, so he’s definitely gonna be good.”
Being compared to Butler before even suiting up on an NBA court is high praise. Still, George has seen his fair share of rookies enter the league and is clearly high on what Edgecombe can bring to the table. Of course, the rookie will need to prove himself every time he steps onto the floor, especially as the Sixers look to bounce back from a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.
Nick Nurse Provides Update on Joel Embiid
While there’s undoubtedly some excitement over the addition of Edgecombe, the fact remains that the Sixers need Joel Embiid healthy if they’re going to contend for a championship. Embiid underwent meniscus surgery in April, but is yet to return to on-court activities.
Head coach Nick Nurse provided an update on the former MVP’s recovery during an August 13 appearance on TalkSport Radio during his trip to Manchester, England, as part of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program.
“All the news is positive,” Nurse told Brian T. Smith of talkSPORT. “I know he’s working very, very hard, and I think things look good. Whether he’s ready for training camp or not, I think there’s maybe a lot more decisions than that to make before we get there. But our main thing is that he’s healthy to play and play to his best capabilities, because he’s awesome, no doubt about that.”
If Embiid can stay healthy once he’s back in the rotation, the Sixers should emerge as one of the stronger teams in the Eastern Conference.
Unfortunately, looking at his career injury history, there’s no guarantee that will happen.
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