On Wednesday, June 25, the Philadelphia 76ers selected V.J. Edgecombe with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The explosive guard out of Baylor will join a young Sixers core consisting of Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain.
When writing up his post-draft grades, The Ringer’s Kyle Mann gave Philadelphia an A- grade for their draft selection.
“He’s immensely disruptive off the ball on defense and fits the profile of a modern backcourt playoff player,” Mann wrote. “Edgecombe has shown wiggle, separation, some flashes of dribble pull-up acumen, and entry-level playmaking instincts, but he will not be under any pressure to explode out of the gate with Philly’s current roster construction. He’ll have the luxury of contributing all over the Sixers’ offense and defense, and the returns will inform the choices that will drive the next phase of whatever the franchise chooses to do.”
By selecting Edgecombe with the third-overall pick, the Sixers now have three young guard prospects. That number rises to four if you add Quentin Grimes into the equation. Nevertheless, Daryl Morey stuck to his principles and drafted the player he deemed the most talented at that stage of the lottery.
Sixers’ Paul George Shares Take on Edgecombe
During a recent episode of the “Podcast P With Paul George” podcast, Sixers forward Paul George shared his thoughts on Edgecombe.
“It’s almost funny, because watching it, he stood out, but I didn’t know the name,” George explained. “I didn’t know that was the player who went to Baylor, and that’s who the kid was. But watching him, and they said how young he was, I was like, he’s competing, playing against top talent and he’s dunking on them, blowing by them. He was making an impact, he was an impactful player.”
Edgecombe played in 33 games for Baylor during his maiden season. He averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 43.6% from the field and 34% from 3-point range. He will add a new dimension to Nick Nurse’s roster moving forward.
George Was Unimpressed With Ace Bailey
Until recently, Ace Bailey was viewed as the favorite to be taken with the third overall pick. However, Bailey refused to work out with teams around the NBA. He also cancelled his workout with the Sixers, despite it being just a few days out at the time.
During the same podcast episode, George shared his thoughts on Bailey’s pre-draft approach and how it could hurt his stock.
“If I’m Ace Bailey, I can’t get mad if my stock drops,” George said. “I can’t get mad if my stock drops. He’s canceled all workouts. He hasn’t worked out for any team…But you’re not in a position to be making those commands. Make it to the league first. It’s for sure the people around him. I don’t know who’s representing him, but I don’t think they’re going about it the right way.”
Bailey was ultimately taken with the fifth overall pick by the Utah Jazz. He will now develop his game under the tutelage of Will Hardy. A lot of eyes will be on Bailey’s progress after such a perplexing build up to draft night.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Sixers Land A- Draft Grade After Selecting Explosive Guard appeared first on Heavy Sports.