VJ Edgecombe Facing a Few Early Negative Effects of 76ers' New Faces

The start to the season for the 76ers' new-look lineup has been an unequivocal success. First, this group took down the reigning champion Knicks on the night New York hung its banner; then, head coach Nick Nurse's top five rallied from a big deficit against the Cavaliers and showed the entire league how dangerous they really are.

However, one member of the starting group hasn't found the easiest footing with new arrivals in tow: second-year wing VJ Edgecombe.

VJ Edgecombe's early offensive troubles for 76ers are noticeable, but not a big surprise

Over two games, Edgecombe is the lowest-scoring member (10.0 ppg) of Philadelphia's initial five, trailing the second-lowest player (LeBron James, 15.5 ppg) by a good margin. But the numbers go much deeper than that.

Notably, Edgecombe's field goal attempts are quite down from his rookie-year campaign, checking in at 10.5 fga so far, while he ended 2025-26 at 13.7. The recent No. 3 overall pick has had a rough time shooting the ball as well, logging 14.3% from deep and only 60% at the line.

Now, it could just be bad shooting luck for Edgecombe over a very small sample size. But the fact that this is accompanied by an overall decrease in attempts points to how his role has changed, with James and Jaylen Brown instantly taking priority in the pecking order.

This leaves Edgecombe in an awkward spot trying to find his new path to contributing as a scorer for this revamped lineup, and it'd be no surprise if being thrust into that position leads right into the young player's early stumbles in that department to begin the year.

It certainly can't be easy for Edgecombe to go from being more equal with Paul George in terms of shots to now Brown and James being allowed to get theirs, so there's certainly going to be an adjustment period needed. And just because two big-name vets have arrived, head coach Nick Nurse surely shouldn't just let Edgecombe's vital development as a long-term piece for the franchise just go by the wayside.

Luckily, the Baylor product has also embraced this new challenge and found other ways to help his team.

After getting his feet under him on Tuesday, Edgecombe was a major all-around factor on Thursday during the comeback bid versus Cleveland, nabbing seven rebounds and adding six assists. Even better, his defensive pressure was a real difference-maker on the floor, and it showed up in the box score with three steals.

The reality is the Sixers have put together a roster with the intention of trying to win the title this year. James and Brown offer more at this current moment to that goal, so Edgecombe taking a backseat in some ways is a necessary part of achieving that feat. You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.

It's a lot to ask of a young player who just had a strong debut season, but that's also what comes with being part of a contender desperate to claim the championship after so many recent tries that fell short.

The good news is Edgecombe appears happy to do the little things and still play a part in Philly racking up wins. Learning from Brown and James in just his second NBA campaign surely will only help him at this early stage of his career as well, so this experience could end up being instrumental in turning him into the franchise's next star.

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