September 17, 2026
Welcome to PhillyVoice's series of Sixers player previews ahead of the 2026-27 season.
After two years of volatility, Sixers fans entered this offseason teetering on apathy. Then came new Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey, the architect of what became a dream summer. Gansey traded Paul George away, landing five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics. As Gansey accumulated depth around Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the door opened for an unfathomable addition.
LeBron James is a member of the Sixers, rounding out one of the most talented starting lineups in recent NBA history. And suddenly, the Sixers have cultivated more local and national interest than ever before. Games are not won on paper, but the Sixers are built to be full-blown championship contenders for however long James remains in Philadelphia.
As Sixers Media Day on Sept. 28 nears, our player preview series will focus on two key questions surrounding each member of the team's 14-player standard roster.
Up next: VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft whose brilliant rookie season included over 3,000 minutes of positive-impact production on offense and defense, with loads of clutch plays on both ends of the floor. Edgecombe cemented himself as a full-blown franchise centerpiece as a rookie – and is now entering his sophomore campaign as his team's fifth option. How will he adjust?
SIXERS PLAYER PREVIEWS
Joel Embiid | Labaron Philon Jr. | Dean Wade
Dominick Barlow | Adem Bona | Tyrese Maxey | VJ Edgecombe
As he enters a season in which his offensive responsibilities will diminish dramatically, it has often been said that Edgecombe should simply "focus" more on his defensive obligations, which will certainly be heightened with George no longer in the picture. This is not a video game; Edgecombe cannot simply decide to be a worse scorer and better defender because that would suit this team more neatly. Sure, Edgecombe can conserve some energy spending more offensive possessions in the background, and perhaps that will be helpful on the other end of the floor. But Edgecombe has never lacked stamina.
The reality is this: the Sixers need an extremely promising young defensive player to continue making important strides during his second NBA season.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse has been empowering Edgecombe ever since he arrived in Philadelphia as a 20-year-old, and that includes entrusting him with high-caliber defensive assignments as a rookie. There were naturally bumps along the way, but also many victories for his development.
VJ Edgecombe's defense on Jalen Brunson on Friday was quite possibly the most impressive feat of his NBA career so far.
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) December 20, 2025
Brunson attempted 10 field goals against Edgecombe. He made the first one. Then he missed the last nine.
Every Brunson FGA vs. Edgecombe in the Sixers' win: pic.twitter.com/NUhEhduCIr
Edgecombe is going to be the Sixers' primary option at the point of attack; when they open the season at Madison Square Garden he will probably be guarding Jalen Brunson and when they go to Indianapolis he will likely have the Tyrese Haliburton assignment.
It is difficult to dispute that, when at full strength, the Sixers' best defensive arrangement will include Edgecombe defending the other team's best guard and Brown handling the opposition's top wing. In that sense, perhaps the answer to this question does not determine much as far as how Nurse will utilize Edgecombe defensively. But how he responds to this challenge will certainly play a key role in the Sixers' season.
SIXERS FILM STUDIES
Jaylen Brown's strengths | Jaylen Brown's weaknesses
Anfernee Simons | Dean Wade | Ariel Hukporti
After the Sixers tapped Edgecombe as their newest franchise cornerstone, skeptics spent the summer wondering about how his shaky shooting mechanics would translate to the NBA. Meanwhile, he was completely overhauling those mechanics, adding a considerable arc to his shot and instilling a greater sense of confidence.
That confidence paid off, as Edgecombe shot 35.4 percent from beyond the arc on significant volume (7.7 attempts per 100 possessions). It was not earth-shattering, but it was extremely helpful, particularly because the volume was so high on a lot of contested spot-up looks. Edgecombe was nails in big moments, too, from his game-winning triple in an overtime win in Memphis to his Game 7 masterclass at TD Garden:
VJ Edgecombe shot 5-11 from three-point range in the Sixers' Game 7 win in Boston on Saturday night, part of a 23-point effort for the 20-year-old: pic.twitter.com/u1z07Wh8wA
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) May 3, 2026
As is the case for most fifth starters, Edgecombe's three-point percentage may be the most important statistic on his line in the season ahead. But even if he remains in the mid-30s, maintaining the fearlessness which endeared him to Sixers fans a year ago will allow Edgecombe to force defenses to respect him.
It is not a good idea to bet against Edgecombe losing confidence.
"I mean, I know I worked hard to be in this position," Edgecombe said after his final preseason game last October. "...If I wasn't ready for it, I wouldn't have been here. I feel as though I just have a lot of confidence. My teammates instill confidence in me also. So, I won't say it's easy, but it's basketball at the end of the day. I'm trying not to overthink it. I love the game so much... It just flows naturally, man. I'm just out there having fun."
SIXERS SIGN LEBRON JAMES
James' decision | Projecting Sixers' rotation | James' impact, on and off the court
