Rising sophomore V.J. Edgecombe could be the Philadelphia 76ers' best chance at moving up the Eastern Conference standings.
Only one season into his NBA career, it's clear the Philadelphia 76ers made the correct decision by selecting V.J. Edgecombe with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Edgecombe had a strong rookie campaign, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting while averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 43.8% shooting in 75 games.
It's already clear Edgecombe is going to be a key building block for the 76ers going forward, but one analyst has taken it a step further. The Athletic's Tony Jones believes the 20-year-old is Philadelphia's best hope at a significant leap next season.
"A lot of eggs are clearly in the VJ Edgecombe basket. He’s probably Philadelphia’s best hope for taking a significant leap, because he has the highest ceiling on the roster," Jones wrote. "If he takes what was a wonderful rookie season and goes to a different level, that will go a long way towards improvement for the 76ers."
It's not an outlandish statement to say Edgecombe has the highest ceiling on the 76ers' roster. While an argument can be made for Tyrese Maxey, the All-Rookie guard has the physical tools and defensive prowess necessary to excel past the former.
The ideal route for the 76ers to take going forward would be to build around the backcourt of Maxey and Edgecombe. However, the contracts of veteran stars Joel Embiid and Paul George greatly complicate that path.
Instead, it feels much more likely Philadelphia will do its best to contend until the deals of Embiid and George become tradeable or expire.
Jones is spot-on in that case. Relying on Edgecombe to take a major leap is absolutely one of the keys to the Sixers evolving into a serious Eastern Conference contender. This, along with the front office bolstering the second unit, is crucial to success for the 76ers.
If Edgecombe does in fact step up his game on both ends of the floor next season, don't be surprised if there are surprising conversations about the 76ers going into the postseason.
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