Evaluating VJ Edgecombe at Midway Point of NBA Rookie Season
The Philadelphia 76ers have reached the midway point of the regular season jostling for playoff position in a tight Eastern Conference race. Beyond the cloud of injury news that has…
The Philadelphia 76ers have reached the midway point of the regular season jostling for playoff position in a tight Eastern Conference race. Beyond the cloud of injury news that has seemingly followed the team throughout its modern era, another impactful storyline has inspired some optimism for the franchise’s future.
VJ Edgecombe has shown encouraging progress in his rookie season.
Nick Nurse evaluated the third-overall pick’s performance in the Sixers backcourt this season.
Positive Marks For VJ Edgecombe
Edgecombe sits third in NBA Rookie of the Year odds in most major sportsbooks. He ranks first in minutes per game (35.8), third in scoring average (15.6), and tied for second in assists per game (4.3) among rookies after suiting up for 37 of Philadelphia’s first 41 games in 2025-26.
Only Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks and Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets have better Rookie of the Year odds.
Nurse talked about key adjustments that NBA rookies typically face. Edgecombe played only 33 NCAA games during his freshman season at Baylor, and Nurse repeatedly emphasizes the mental edge needed to handle back-to-backs and other intense demands of the professional schedule.
“He’s played great, obviously. I think the normal thing is for these guys to have some ups and downs just in the physical nature of the game, the number of games, all that stuff. You think 'Some nights he (a rookie) just doesn’t quite have it.' He’s (Edgecombe is) a little different than that way… He plays some of these games a little bit low key… Then all of a sudden, he’s on the scene, late in the game or whatever, he’s still making plays. I just think that’s kind of part of his nature, the way he plays.”
-Nick Nurse
Signature Performances
Edgecombe stormed out of the gate in his regular-season debut. The sharp-shooting rookie dropped 34 points in a dramatic comeback win against the Boston Celtics.
He wasn’t finished with the signature performances. The 6-foot-4 guard helped the Sixers battle into overtime through a track meet against Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies on December 30. Edgecombe buried a memorable three-pointer in the final seconds of the extra session to halt a three-game losing streak.
Edgecombe flashed his catch and shoot ability again two weeks later with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George on the floor. He took six of his seven shots from beyond the arc. His 5-for-6 mark earned him all 15 points for the night. He showed the smooth release of a sniper playing off three accomplished NBA All-Stars.
Room For Improvement
The stroke of lottery luck helped Sixers fans see past the storm of injuries that sunk their 2024-25 season. Edgecombe has shown great promise, but Nurse pointed out “small downs” and the need for improvement.
His performance against the Indiana Pacers in the 41st regular season game impressed Nurse because of a different skill set that the head coach would like to see more of. Edgecombe handled the ball more confidently with Maxey and Embiid on the floor, and he helped shape up the offense in an eventual victory after a slow performance in the first half.
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images“I really think it’s helpful to both Tyrese and Jo when he’s got the ball, not just 10 times a game but for more like 40 times a game. When he’s bringing it up the floor and he’s starting the offense, I just think it gives us so many options. It gives Tyrese some kind of a break from all this full-court nose to nose denial and all the stuff that he sees most nights. I just like… the tempo and rhythm that VJ executes some of our sets in.”
-Nick Nurse
Nurse hopes to allow Edgecombe the handle the ball more regularly during the second half of the season. The former NBA champion also encouraged Edgecombe to attack the rim more often, especially when Philadelphia’s veteran centerpieces are in the lineup.
Edgecombe will also work to round out the defensive side of his game, an almost universal need for NBA rookies.
“That’s just on me and the coaching staff to continue to develop him and expand his game a little bit.”
-Nick Nurse
Stats updated on January 20, 2026
