October 03, 2025
Not a whole lot went right for the Sixers on Thursday, when the team's preseason opener resulted in a 99-84 drubbing at the hands of New York Knicks in Abu Dhabi. The score actually made the game look less lopsided than it was in reality; the Sixers' putrid 3-for-35 shooting performance from beyond the arc was painful to watch.
With a starting lineup's worth of key Sixers sidelined, the primary intrigue on Thursday came in the form of VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft stepping into his first NBA game action.
Edgecombe's line in the box score was not much to write home about -- he scored 14 points on 4-for-14 shooting and recorded six rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes of play -- and his limitations as a scorer and ball-handler were evident. But there were some noteworthy flashes of promise mixed in as he faced off against plenty of critical New York rotation pieces.
In the return of Friday film, a deeper look into the good and bad of Edgecombe's first foray onto an NBA floor:
Edgecombe may have only had three assists in this game, but each of them represented an encouraging example of his potential for growth as an on-ball player. His first involvement in the game was ripping away a rebound from Mitchell Robinson, immediately kickstarting transition offense and hitting Adem Bona with a picture-perfect lob:
VJ Edgecombe snatches a board away from an elite rebounder in Mitchell Robinson, leads the Sixers in transition and finds Adem Bona for an alley-oop: pic.twitter.com/SL3QbFCbLK
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 2, 2025
While Edgecombe is most known for his athletic capabilities -- an absurd example of that is coming -- he is a cerebral player with the instincts necessary to make quick decisions. It bodes well for his development as a playmaker if he makes major strides as a ball-handler. But in a shorter-term outlook, it could result in a lot of timely cutting. Twice in this game, Edgecombe made a play happen by recognizing he was being denied off the ball and dashing past his defender to create a passing lane. Here, Edgecombe receives a bounce pass from Eric Gordon and immediately knows he can draw Johni Broome's defender and then hit his draft classmate with a dump-off pass. He executes it perfectly, all at a tremendous speed:
VJ Edgecombe senses the Knicks trying to deny him off the ball and dashes back door. Eric Gordon hits Edgecombe with a crisp bounce pass and Edgecombe dumps it off to Johni Broome for an easy bucket: pic.twitter.com/NU4kqaPBse
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 2, 2025
Edgecombe had one true live-dribble pass that was impressive, a play that led to one of the Sixers' three triples. As soon as Edgecombe catches a pass on the left wing, he begins barreling toward the basket. He catches Kelly Oubre Jr.'s defender in the opposite corner sleeping, so his tag is late and his recovery is even more delayed. Edgecombe draws him in just enough to fire a one-handed bullet at Oubre and give the veteran swingman enough time to calmly fire away:
VJ Edgecombe begins moving toward the basket as he catches the ball on the left wing. He catches a defender sleeping in the right corner and makes a strong one-handed pass on the move, assisting a Kelly Oubre Jr. spot-up three: pic.twitter.com/mhrc8kdjbE
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 2, 2025
Pure necessity forced Edgecombe into a significant ball-handling role in this game. These sorts of plays happening with regularity should not be the expectation during the regular season, but it is perhaps a glimpse into what Edgecombe might look like down the line. The more shot creation Edgecombe can provide early on, the higher his floor will be in terms of overall impact.
MORE: Additional takeaways from preseason opener
Anyone Edgecombe has spoken to at any length will notice the sheer confidence he boasts at all times. And credit must be given where it is due: Edgecombe truly does have that sense of self-belief. There is no play he does not think he can make on a basketball court. So, when he beat another denying defender with a back-door cut and Robinson and his 7-foot-4 wingspan stood in the way, Edgecombe attempted what would have been an all-time detonation:
VJ Edgecombe goes for all of the glory against Mitchell Robinson: pic.twitter.com/OXK53H46KA
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 2, 2025
And, while he did not shoot well on Thursday, Edgecombe kept shooting. He was firing off threes quickly and decisively, which will at least be half of the battle for him on this team. He only made one of his five three-point tries, a tightly-contested shot over old friend Landry Shamet:
VJ Edgecombe's lone three-point make on Thursday, rising up over a close contest and knocking down a high-arcing shot: pic.twitter.com/thMQBiB00z
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 2, 2025
Without spending too much time belaboring one shot attempt, the high-arcing nature of this shot jives with what Edgecombe said over the weekend that his key focus was as he reworked his shooting mechanics.
"I was flat. Like, I had a flat shot in college," Edgecombe said. "So now my arc is going better than it was a month ago... It's weird, it's crazy, now it's weird for me to shoot it flat. I know when my shot is flat now."
MORE: Edgecombe and other Sixers to monitor in preseason
Of course, Edgecombe was far from perfect beyond the simple fact that he missed most of the shots he attempted. At one point, Edgecombe missed out on a prime opportunity to score in transition because of a loose handle. There are natural growing pains that should be expected when he spends time on the ball, like this play:
As Dominick Barlow is coming to set VJ Edgecombe a screen against Jalen Brunson, Edgecombe begins to step into a pull-up triple. He has to hold onto the ball, but after picking up his dribble has his pass to Tyrese Maxey stolen: pic.twitter.com/oUdR8TjNqw
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 2, 2025
Edgecombe's reads as a ball-handler will have to improve, and new teammate Jared McCain can tell him how valuable NBA reps are to make quick progress there. What is perhaps more important for Edgecombe to ensure he can give the Sixers helpful minutes right away is his defensive decision-making. Edgecombe is a hard worker whose intensity will never subside, but he must channel that properly and avoid getting too antsy like he did on this play:
VJ Edgecombe gets too ambitious double-teaming a ball-handler as he crosses half-court, leaving an elite spot-up three-point shooter open. He hustles to contest the shot and makes up a good amount of ground, but Malcolm Brogdon knocks it down to make Edgecombe pay for the gamble: pic.twitter.com/Vlmbp1vCQ6
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 2, 2025
If there is any single statistic from Edgecombe's preseason debut that should generate optimism, it is his game-high 31 minutes. Even in the earliest of exhibitions, every new look Edgecombe sees will give him a bit stronger of a perspective of how he can succeed against NBA competition. He will have another chance to attack the same opponent when the Sixers and Knicks face off in Abu Dhabi one more time on Saturday.
MORE: Will Edgecombe start on opening night?
