To say that the Philadelphia 76ers have high expectations for VJ Edgecombe as a rookie would be an understatement.
Joining the red, white and blue as a 20-year-old rookie from Baylor, Edgecombe has started all 50 games in 2025-26 with Tyrese Maxey and company tasked with spacing the floor, driving to the basket and playing good defense on the other side of the court.
Discussing his rookie season in the NBA midway through his rookie season on the Club 520 podcast, Edgecombe broke down a particularly difficult stretch of games where he was tasked with guarding some of the best players in the NBA.
"Man, it was a stretch. I even went to guard Luka, Curry was sitting out. I'm not going to lie, I was low-key happy," Edgecombe said. "Even if you want to compete, I was like, this isn't too bad. I had to guard Luka, I had to guard Shai, D-Bucs, Brunson, I had to guard all of them, brother. So it was like my welcome to the NBA."
So, who was the toughest player Edgecombe faced during his "Welcome to the NBA" challenge? That would be Ja Morant, who dropped 40 on the 76ers despite Edgecombe's best efforts.
"Toughest? I'm not going to lie to you, Ja Morant brother," Edgecombe said. "I'm not going to lie, he had 40."
Widely touted as one of the better athletes in the 2025 NBA Draft class, Edgecombe made it clear that he wanted to be a force on both ends of the court, with defense being as important to his individual play as it was to his offensive production. Despite often being the youngest player on the court whenever Nick Nurse checks in on him in a game, Edgecombe's desire to play both ways has largely been fulfilled, with "The Generator" only getting better as his ability is tested night in and day out.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC6-DHRJVH8[/embed]
