Rookie VJ Edgecombe has made the most of his preseason minutes for the Philadelphia 76ers — and it’s paying off. The No. 3 overall pick from Baylor capped off an impressive preseason run Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, finishing with 26 points, six rebounds, three assists and five steals. His scoring total trailed only Tyrese Maxey’s 27 points in the 76ers’ 121-115 loss.
It was a statement performance for Edgecombe, who opened the preseason with a modest 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting against the New York Knicks. Since then, he’s shown notable growth, looking increasingly comfortable creating shots and defending multiple positions. His energy and defensive instincts have stood out to head coach Nick Nurse, who confirmed after the game that Edgecombe is expected to start the season opener against Boston.
With Paul George and Jared McCain both ruled out due to injury, Nurse plans to roll out a lineup of Maxey, Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., Adem Bona and Joel Embiid when the 76ers open their regular season Wednesday, Oct. 22, against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
Whether the rookie remains in the starting five once the team is fully healthy remains to be seen. George is expected to reclaim a starting spot, likely moving Oubre Jr. to the bench. That said, Edgecombe’s strong preseason could help him carve out a significant role in the rotation — and possibly challenge McCain for minutes.
Philadelphia will return home for its second game Saturday, Oct. 25, against the Charlotte Hornets.