VJ Edgecombe, the third overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, lit the NBA world on fire with how he started his professional career with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was torching defenders left and right and was looking like a big star from the get-go. But he's slowed down as of late, which is to be expected from a 20-year-old rookie.
But Edgecombe appears to be finding his second wind. On Friday night, with the 76ers in need of a boost amid Tyrese Maxey's absence due to an illness, Edgecombe took advantage of increased opportunity and stepped up. The 20-year-old scored 22 points in 39 minutes of play on an efficient 6-10 shooting from the field as he helped Philly earn a 115-105 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Edgecombe continues to impress for how advanced his game is already at such a young age. And it helps that one of his biggest fans is his own head coach, with 76ers HC Nick Nurse being impressed by how well-rounded the youngster's game already is.
“My favorite thing about him is he does a little bit of everything,” Nurse said after the 76ers' win over the Pacers, via Aaron Bracy of Big 5 Hoops.
Learning how to do the dirty work is something that's going to benefit Edgecombe in the long run, and the 76ers certainly made the right decision to draft him considering the state of their current roster.
76ers loom as dark horse in the Eastern Conference
Edgecombe being this ready to take on this much responsibility has certainly aided the 76ers in their goal to contend for a title. Health is still a huge determining factor for how far they can go, but having Edgecombe around as a foundational piece sets up the 76ers to at least remain competitive for the foreseeable future.
The 76ers will look to keep their strong play going on Sunday when they face the Atlanta Hawks.
