The Philadelphia 76ers were reassured in their selection of guard V.J. Edgecombe in the 2025 NBA Draft by Bleacher Report.
The Philadelphia 76ers opted to select Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft despite it not being the popular choice at the time.
Many believed Rutgers forward Ace Bailey was the third-best prospect, but that has not proven to be the case thus far. At the All-Star break, Edgecombe is clearly performing at a higher level than Bailey and the majority of the other rookies in his class.
The 76ers were reassured of their selection of Edgecombe by Bleacher Report in their 2025 NBA Re-Draft, where he still went off the board with the No. 3 pick to Philadelphia.
"...The Sixers might spend the next decade doing victory laps for this draft pick," B/R's Zach Buckley wrote. "Edgecombe's scoring ebbs and flows, but his energy and electricity are constants. It also doesn't hurt that his defensive versatility and ability to impact the game in ways other than on-ball scoring basically make him a basketball lab's creation of the ideal backcourt mate for Tyrese Maxey."
The other top-five selections in B/R's Re-Draft are Cooper Flagg to the Dallas Mavericks (No. 1), Kon Knueppel to the San Antonio Spurs (No. 2), Dylan Harper to the Charlotte Hornets (No. 4), and Cedric Coward to the Utah Jazz (No. 5).
Edgecombe is thriving as Maxey's starting backcourt partner, averaging 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 steals on 42.3% shooting and 35.2% shooting from three-point range in 50 appearances. He also won Rising Stars MVP at All-Star Weekend.
Not only are his statistics solid across the board, but the confidence Edgecombe plays with as a rookie is arguably more impressive. From the start of the regular season, he made his presence known, scoring 34 points in his debut game against the Boston Celtics. It's worth noting Edgecombe has yet to repeat that level of offensive success, but continues contributing in all facets.
If the 76ers were able to redo the pick, it's clear Edgecombe should still be their choice.
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