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The Philadelphia 76ers have had an interesting last 12 months, first watching their max signing of Paul George crash and burn in epic fashion, but being rewarded for their misery with the number three overall pick. At that spot, the 76ers selected VJ Edgecombe, the standout combo guard from Baylor who burst onto the NCAA scene a year ago.
It didn't take long for Edgecombe to establish himself during the 76ers' run at the Las Vegas Summer League, and recently, the rookie spoke on what NBA players he tries to model his game after.
“[Victor Oladipo] when he was with the Pacers, [Dwyane Wade]… I watch a lot of [Anthony Edwards],” said Edgecombe, via Podcast P with Paul George, presented by Wave Sport + Entertainment.
If the 76ers are indeed getting a hybrid of Oladipo, Wade, and Edwards next year, they may perform well above the tepid expectations that most pundits have projected on them.
An interesting time in Philadelphia
The 76ers currently figure to be in the twilight years of the Joel Embiid era. The big man has seen his well-chronicled injury concerns once again become a major issue of late, missing far more games than he played over the last two seasons.
Normally, such an event would be a death sentence for an organization, especially as the rest of the league–and potential trade partners–now seems privy to the fact that Embiid will likely never be the same player.
However, the 76ers are in the unique position of having three young combo guards in Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and Jared McCain on their roster, each of whom figures to play a big role in 2025-26, and perhaps even bigger if Embiid or Paul George's injuries once again manifest.
It will be interesting to see how 76ers head coach Nick Nurse opts to balance the minutes of the three young guards considering they all play the same position, but Philadelphia is certainly in a better position than most teams whose star player is a walking injury risk.
The 76ers will learn their 2025-26 schedule at some point in August.
