The Sixers’ new era is on deck.
With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown on board and training camp set to begin in late September, we’re taking a look at key questions for the 2026-27 Sixers.
We’ve asked:
- Just how dramatic of an impact will James make?
- What role will Brown play on his new team?
- Will the Sixers be healthy when it matters most?
- Who will the Sixers run their late-game offense through?
- Can the Sixers’ retooled second unit get the job done in the playoffs?
- How will the Sixers’ backup center situation shake out?
Next up: What’s the next step for VJ Edgecombe?
Edgecombe earned a starting spot off the bat and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting last season.
While he encountered a bump in the road here and there, Edgecombe carried over his college strengths in rather smooth fashion. He displayed special athleticism in the open floor, worked diligently on defense, rebounded very well for his position (5.6 boards per game), and averaged 16.0 points and 4.2 assists. Edgecombe improved as a long-range shooter, grew as a passer, and almost never appeared to be in over his head as a 20-year-old starter on a playoff team.
He turned 21 this summer. Edgecombe will plan to hone his game across the board in Year 2, do tons of valuable dirty work, and learn from the Sixers’ established stars. He’s far too talented and competitive to fade into relative obscurity because the Sixers’ other projected starters have historically been high-scoring players.
What specific areas can Edgecombe develop? We think outside shooting is at the top of the list.
He made impressive offseason progress on his jumper last year, shooting with better balance, rhythm and confidence than he had at Baylor. After hitting 34 percent of his college three-pointers, Edgecombe shot 5 for 13 beyond the arc in his incredible 34-point performance against the Celtics on opening night. He finished the season at 35.4 percent from three-point territory.
Edgecombe didn’t end the year on a high note, though. Counting the playoffs, he went 29 percent from three-point range over his final 18 games. That included an 0-for-6 three-point night in the Sixers’ Round 2, Game 4 loss to the eventual champion Knicks. Rookie fatigue was surely a factor, but Edgecombe offered no excuses immediately after the Sixers were swept out of the postseason by New York.
“There’s been a lot of ups and downs through this whole playoffs. … Coming into next year, a team won’t ever leave me open,” Edgecombe said at his exit interview in May. “During the regular season, I was shooting the ball pretty well. Then the playoffs come and it’s a different vibe. The intensity is higher, the closeouts are a lot quicker.
“But I’m going to work and work and work. 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. And defensively, I’m going to keep getting better and keep learning. For the rest of my career, I want to go out and guard whoever I have to go guard. I’m just excited to see how this offseason is going to look for me. Next year I’m going to come back better, stronger, faster, more athletic. Whatever I’ve got to do, I’m going to do.”
The bulk of Edgecombe’s three-point chances next season should be open catch-and-shoot looks created by the Sixers’ stars. He took 3.5 catch-and-shoot threes per game last season and made 38.3 percent. (On pull-up threes, Edgecombe was at 31.4 percent on 2.0 attempts per game.)
As Edgecombe alluded to, an important aspect of his catch-and-shoot game will be understanding the defense.
Some opponents may still opt to leave him wide open. Others may respect Edgecombe’s jumper, close out hard, and force him to be precise with his footwork and shot preparation. Whatever the case, there’s no question Maxey will provide pointers along the way and nudge his backcourt mate to keep shooting.
Of course, there are many nuances of the NBA that Edgecombe hasn’t come close to mastering yet. As he accumulates more reps, we imagine he’ll naturally improve at playing physical defense without fouling, cutting, screening, and scoring craftily at the rim and in the mid-range.
Regardless, both Edgecombe’s career and the Sixers’ championship ambitions would look even brighter if his next major step is as a three-point shooter in the 2026-27 season.
