The Philadelphia 76ers took one more chance to cool the concern around VJ Edgecombe before Friday’s preseason finale against the Boston Celtics.
Edgecombe was not on the floor when the game tipped, even though the Sixers had originally planned to get their projected starting five together again just days before opening night. Instead, head coach Nick Nurse said beforehand that Edgecombe was getting the night off, and he made it clear that injury was not the issue.
According to Chris Hine of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Nurse pointed to an “intense” week of practice and three preseason games from Edgecombe as enough work for the sophomore guard.
That fits the way the Sixers have handled him this month. Edgecombe already logged three preseason appearances against the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics, and finished that stretch averaging 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. The Nets game was the only one in which the full starting five was together during the preseason.
For Philadelphia, the bigger takeaway is simple: Edgecombe does not appear to need any extra ramp-up. Last year, that was a different story. The Sixers needed him to get preseason run before a demanding rookie season, and he responded by playing in 75 games, starting all of them, and averaging 35.0 minutes per contest.
His rookie numbers were strong across the board. Edgecombe shot 43.8% from the field, made 35.4% of his threes, and put up 16.0 points per game.
He also averaged 4.2 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Even without winning Rookie of the Year, he finished third in the voting.
Now the questions around him have shifted. Going into the 2026-2027 NBA season, there was some buzz about possible regression with the roster change, especially after Philadelphia added two more All-Stars in Jaylen Brown and LeBron James.
That kind of firepower can change the shape of touches and usage. But Edgecombe has continued to look like a player who will matter no matter who is on the floor with him.
With Friday’s healthy scratch, the Sixers are signaling that they’ve seen enough. Edgecombe should be ready to go for Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks.
In Other News...
Sixers Still Have One Preseason Question Before Celtics Tuneup
The final preseason stop comes Friday night in South Philadelphia, where the 76ers will get one more look at themselves against the Celtics before the games start to count. Nick Nurse has said he plans to run out his first-choice starting lineup, a useful chance to sharpen the rotation and see how the group responds against a familiar East opponent after what has been a relatively healthy training camp.
Two players will sit this one out, with Anfernee Simons and Adem Bona ruled out because of injuries even though both have been taking part in practice. For a team trying to build rhythm and settle its opening-night look, the bigger issue now is less about who is unavailable and more about whether this group can leave the preseason with the right feel heading into the regular-season opener. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Suddenly Have A Center Chance They May Need To Act On
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Philadelphia is weighing whether to claim Jemison or use its last two-way slot on him, a move that would at least give the team another option in the middle as it tries to survive the early stretch. Jemison has bounced around the league and has size and experience, but the appeal comes with the usual caveat for a player in his position: the 76ers would be betting on depth first, with his consistency and longer-term upside still very much open to question. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About VJ Edgecombes Priorities
VJ Edgecombes priorities have already drawn attention before his first season has fully settled into the bigger picture around the 76ers. The young guard said representing the Bahamas at the Olympics would mean more to him than winning an NBA championship, pointing to the chance to help his country reach a stage it has never reached in Olympic mens basketball. For a player just beginning his pro journey, it was a candid answer that spoke as much to identity and heritage as it did to basketball ambition.
Jason Williams, though, was not having it, arguing that players in the league should place the organization paying their salary above anything else. It is the kind of comment that tends to hit a nerve with Philadelphia fans, who expect total commitment and are already learning what makes Edgecombe tick. The tension here is less about whether he cares about winning than about where he sees his greatest responsibility, and that debate figures to follow him as his profile grows. [Read more 🡒]