PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 30: Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates a three-pointer during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup game against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images Josh Grieb Sat, October 31, 2026 at 4:45 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One of the main schools of thought stemming from the "there's only one ball to go around" critique of this year's Sixers team was that it would hinder the development of VJ Edgecombe, especially going into a crucial second season.
Five games into his sophomore season and that hasn't been a problem at all for the guard from Baylor. The Sixers have won all five games he's appeared in and he's made big plays down the stretch in just about all of them.
As the New York Knicks looked prime to pull off a devastating comeback in Philadelphia, Edgecombe hit a three to extend the Sixers' one-point lead to four with 32 seconds remaining. It's the type of clutch shotmaking the coaching staff has come to expect from Edgecombe after he made a habit of it his rookie year.
"He just does that, it's really who he is," head coach Nick Nurse said after the game. "We all know it."
Nurse, nor any Sixer, had a problem with Edgecombe taking that shot despite missing his previous three attempts from deep on the night. He plays with a level of fearlessness and confidence that's earned that trust from his teammates.
Even some of his newest teammates have picked on Edgecombe's knack for big moments.
"He doesn't shy away from the moment," LeBron James said. "[He's a] young, young kid, but thrives in the moment."
It was a bit relieving that it was a three ball from Edgecombe that saved the day. For all his contributions this season, shooting the ball from deep has been one of his rare struggles. He's shot just 29% from three through his first five games of the campaign.
"Early I haven't been making a lot of threes, but they're gonna fall, and I'm gonna keep shooting the ball," Edgecombe said. "Tonight, even though I was 0-for-3 at the time, I still shot it. That's just the confidence I have in myself."
What Edgecombe has done a great job of this year is using the attention of his superstar teammates to cut into wide open lanes and scoop up easy baskets. He's also become one of the best rebounders on the team while usually guarding the other team's best player.
He's done an especially good job cutting for Joel Embiid, a big reason Embiid is up to averaging 4.8 assists per game so far this season.
"When they go double him, obviously you know teams gonna rotate," Edgecombe said, "and so I just try to find that gap where I can cut or just find a window for him."
It's the type of complementary basketball required to make a group with this much talent work together. Many worried before the season there wasn't anywhere on the roster the Sixers would get those types of contributions from.
"It's great to just have those guys, those complementary guys out there on the floor where we can all complement one another," James said. "'Rese getting double teamed, VJ has the confidence that Tyrese gonna give him the ball and he can knock down shots and vice versa."
Edgecombe is clearly fifth in the pecking order in the healthy starting five when it comes to shot distribution, but that hasn't stopped him from being one of their most important players when he's on the floor. Being vital to helping a team with championship expectations pick up wins on a nightly basis has been just fine for his development so far.
Source: Sports
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