The Tribune

By JONATHAN BURROWS

Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe has already shown he belongs in the NBA. His second season will be about showing just how much more he can become.

The Bahamian guard enters the 2026-27 season facing a significantly different situation in Philadelphia after the 76ers added four-time NBA champion LeBron James and former NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to a roster that already includes Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.

With training camp set to begin later this month, Edgecombe’s role will be one of the more intriguing storylines surrounding the Sixers.

The third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft earned a starting spot immediately as a rookie and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting after averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 75 regular season games.

He also shot 35.4 percent from three-point range, an improvement from his college numbers at Baylor.

The numbers were impressive for a 20-year-old playing major minutes on a playoff team, but Edgecombe’s second season will require adjustments.

With James, Brown, Maxey and Embiid expected to command a significant amount of the offensive attention, Edgecombe is unlikely to have the same number of opportunities to create his own offense.

That does not necessarily mean his importance will decrease.

Instead, his ability to defend multiple positions, run the floor, rebound from the guard position, attack closeouts and knock down open perimeter shots could become even more important.

The Athletic’s NBA analyst Tony Jones identified Edgecombe as a major piece of Philadelphia’s future during the offseason, writing that “a lot of eggs are clearly in the VJ Edgecombe basket” and calling him the player on the roster with the highest ceiling and Philadelphia’s best hope for making a significant leap next season.

That leap may begin with his three-point shooting.

Edgecombe made 38.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes last season on 3.5 attempts per game, while shooting 31.4 percent on pull-up threes on two attempts per game.

Those catch-and-shoot opportunities should become increasingly important with James and Brown creating attention around him.

The difference next season could be how consistently Edgecombe punishes defenses for helping off him.

Opponents may decide to give him space and load up against Philadelphia’s stars. If that happens, Edgecombe has to make teams pay from the perimeter.

He showed he was capable of doing that as a rookie, including a memorable 34 point performance against Boston on opening night in which he connected on five three-pointers. He also produced a 30 point, 10 rebound performance against the Celtics during the playoffs, becoming the first rookie since Tim Duncan in 1998 to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game.

The challenge was consistency.

Edgecombe struggled from beyond the arc late in the season and into the playoffs. He shot 29 percent from three over his final 18 games, including a 0-for-6 performance from deep in Philadelphia’s Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks.

Edgecombe acknowledged after the season that the playoffs presented a different level of pressure and defensive intensity.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs through these playoffs,” Edgecombe said during his exit interview. “Coming into next year, a team won’t ever leave me open.”

He also made it clear that his focus would not simply be on increasing his scoring numbers.

“I’m going to work and work and work,” Edgecombe said. “Whatever I’ve got to do to make life easier for (Tyrese Maxey) and the rest of my teammates. Take some of the pressure and some of the load offensively off of them.”

That mindset could prove important on a Sixers team where Edgecombe will have to find ways to contribute without always being a primary offensive option.

Edgecombe has already said he is comfortable with whatever role comes with the revamped roster.

“I just want to win,” he said in August. “I’m going to still be aggressive, still be myself. If that comes with less shots or more shots, who knows.”

He also welcomed the possibility of defenses choosing to leave him open.

“It’s fine if they don’t respect me, I’ll just get a bunch of open shots,” Edgecombe said.

That confidence will be tested throughout the season.

Edgecombe will have to become more efficient with his opportunities, particularly when defenses close out aggressively. He will also have to continue developing his ability to finish at the rim, operate in the mid-range, make quick reads as a passer and defend without putting himself in foul trouble.

His defensive responsibility could also increase.

The addition of James and Brown gives Philadelphia more established offensive options, which could allow Edgecombe to spend more energy creating havoc defensively and attacking in transition rather than carrying the burden of creating shots every possession.

Philadelphia’s revamped roster could also give Edgecombe something he did not have as much of during his rookie season: time to learn.

He will be surrounded by veterans with extensive playoff experience while playing alongside James, a player Edgecombe has openly described as his favorite player growing up.

The Sixers have already indicated that Edgecombe remains an important part of their plans despite the additions around him. The NBA’s official Sixers profile lists his rookie averages at 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game and notes that he earned NBA All Rookie Team honors. The question now is not whether Edgecombe can produce.

It is how much more efficient, reliable and versatile he can become while playing alongside Philadelphia’s established stars.

If the three-point shot becomes more dependable, Edgecombe could force defenses to respect every member of Philadelphia’s starting lineup.

For the Bimini native, Year 2 is less about proving he belongs and more about proving he can become an essential part of Philadelphia’s plans.