March 27, 2026, 10:13 a.m. ET

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves a winner by choosing VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. After a miserable 2024-25 season in which nothing went right for them, the Sixers were rewarded with Edgecombe as they look to continue their championship path.

Edgecombe has been terrific averaging 16.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 35.6% from deep and 43.4% overall. He’s also averaging 1.4 steals as he has been a pest on the defensive end and really getting after it on that end.

With that being said, Edgecombe hasn’t really hit the proverbial NBA “rookie wall”. Normally, due to the amount of games a player plays in the pros compared to college, rookies go through big slumps and have a tough time with the number of minutes and lack of rest in between games.

Not Edgecombe.

“It’s a mental thing,” Edgecombe said of handling the rookie wall. “It’s all a mental thing. I try to stay strong mentally, and I got a great group of guys around me that helps with that. So, I just try to stay strong mentally and enjoy it. So, I think that’s why.”

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Over his last 16 games, Edgecombe is averaging 20.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 46.3% from the floor and 36.8% from deep. There have been some tough moments in that stretch as he had some 3-for-9 or 2-for-7 type of performances, but he always bounces back. His mental toughness is impressive for a player so young.

“I mean, he’s had a couple of moments where he’s looked like he was hitting it (the wall) a little bit, but I just think you get times where you get a regroup,” added coach Nick Nurse. “I think he’s got, I think, a really good quality of bouncing back. When he has a 1-for-8 game, man, like, look out the next game. He just comes out really determined to not let that happen again and he’s kind of rolled—I think he might have had a 1-for-8 or 9 somewhere along the way here and ever since then, he’s been really good.”

Obviously, all of this is so new to Edgecombe. While basketball comes easy, playing in the NBA isn’t a walk in the park. The rookie out of Baylor is leaning on his love for the game and his ability to just play the game while understanding what he has to do out on the floor.

“I’ve just been enjoying the whole process,” Edgecombe finished. “I haven’t had time to just sit down and cope and sulk on anything.”