Prospective draft picks gather on stage for a photo before the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
By Chris Murray
For the Philadelphia Sunday SUN
After the Philadelphia 76ers’ disastrous, injury-filled 2024-2025 season in which they finished 24-58, even the most optimistic fan might be hard pressed to find any light at the end of the tunnel with the selection of former Baylor star V.J. Edgecomb in the first round of the NBA Draft.
When you look at what the 6-foot-5 Edgecomb brings to the table for the Sixers, you might like what you see on paper. During his freshman season, he averaged 15 points per game and had a 43.6 field goal percentage, and was 34 percent from three-point range.
“We’re super excited about VJ and what he brings to the team,” said 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. “Dynamic athlete, potential all-star, two-way player. He’s got all these winning qualities that we think fit (the 76ers). … We think he is on a great trajectory to take where he comes from and continue to improve (from) Baylor to a long, promising career with the Sixers.”
Most of the scouting reports that I read and saw on various TV networks say that Edgecomb, who played on the Bahamas Olympic team, is an outstanding defender who could possibly play both guard and forward. Listening to him speak during the post-draft press conference, Edgecomb seems to have a good head on his shoulders.
While being the third pick is a good thing for Edgecomb, who grew up in the Bahamas, it hasn’t been good for the Sixers and their cynical fan base, who have seen highly touted lottery picks come to the City of Brotherly Love in the last few years and outright stink up the joint.
The 76ers had the No. 1 pick in the 2017 Draft from the Boston Celtics, so they could draft Markelle Fultz, while Boston used the No. 2 pick to get Jayson Tatum.
Somewhere in Utah, former Celtics exec Danny Ainge is laughing his butt off because Boston got an NBA title from Tatum while the Sixers got just a rock because Fultz couldn’t shoot because of the “yips.” It was the realization that the former University of Washington wasn’t the can’t-miss prospect as he was advertised to be.
The most glaring lottery pick failure came from down under in the form of Ben Simmons, who was touted to be the next Lebron James or Magic Johnson. Because he refused to improve his game, Simmons was another Lottery bust and is currently on a one-way ticket to “Journeymanville.”
The Sixers’ recent dubious history of Lottery picks who turned out to be mediocre players is a reason why Sixers fans aren’t necessarily beaming with excitement about Edgecomb as the No. 3 pick.
Morey said Edgecomb’s talents, along with Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and emerging talent Quintin Grimes, who averaged 21.9 points per game and shot 38 percent from behind the three-point arc, could give the Sixers one of the most dynamic backcourts in the NBA.
When we think about the potential of this backcourt, it’s easy to be optimistic about the scoring and ball-handling ability of this backcourt with the addition of Edgecomb. Before his season-ending injury, McCain was averaging 15.2 points per game. Maxey led the team in scoring with 26.3
But despite all the potentially gaudy numbers from the Sixers’ guards, the upcoming season must include the often-injured Joel Embiid. This young Sixers team will rise, fall, or remain at the bottom of the standings if they don’t have the scoring and defensive ability of the 76ers.
The most important ability of all of Embiid’s skills on the court is his availability. He played in just 19 games last season and 65 games since winning the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award in 2023.
“We do have to have our main guy in the middle,” Morey said. “I felt for the players and Coach Nurse last year trying to put a defense on the floor with Joel out and (Andre) Drummond was hurt …. If you have a bunch of dynamic guards, it’s hard to make it all work if you don’t have a big in there who’s making it hard for the other team.”
Morey did say that Embiid, who had surgery on his left knee back in April, is on track to be ready for Sixers training camp in October. The success of Edgecomb’s rookie season and their “dynamic” backcourt will depend on Embiid’s sustained availability throughout the season.
If I were a gambler, I wouldn’t bet on it.
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