The Philadelphia 76ers made fantastic selections in the 2025 NBA Draft, taking VJ Edgecombe and Johni Broome. The pair has already acquainted themselves well in the Utah Summer League, showing their impressive skills. With that in mind, both of them do have questions regarding their play heading into the Vegas Summer League. Let’s dive into one question for each Sixers rookie going into Summer League.
2025 NBA Summer League: 1 Question For Each Sixers Rookie
VJ Edgecombe
Question: Can Edgecombe stand out as an effective on-ball player during Summer League?
For Edgecombe in particular, he has the potential to be a foundational piece for Philadelphia in the future. He has the athleticism, defense, and maturity to be the perfect complement to Tyrese Maxey in the starting backcourt. The 3rd overall pick has already demonstrated his best qualities in his Summer League debut against Ace Bailey and the Jazz. In his first bit of Summer League action, Edgecombe put up 28 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists while also showing out as a primary offensive engine. While the Sixers lost in the end, Edgecombe’s first performance put all of his promise on display.
More importantly, his first Utah Summer League performance showcased his ability to be an effective player on the ball. One of the big questions surrounding Edgecombe is whether he can be a true offensive threat with the ball in his hands. Specifically, he will need to improve as a primary shot creator to fully realize his star potential. While he was the star player at Baylor, Edgecombe did have issues creating his own shot at times. Thus, the big question for Edgecombe is whether he can be an effective on-ball player. His performance versus the Jazz is a great first step, but it’s important to see continuous success in that role.
Johni Broome
Question: Can Broome handle the speed of opposing players on defense?
Considering the health concerns of Joel Embiid, taking Broome in the draft is an excellent insurance pick-up. Broome has demonstrated himself as one of the best bigs in college basketball and has the experience to contribute immediately. Additionally, Broome has the versatility in his skill set to play at the four when needed. Broome already showed off his ability to extend his range beyond arc. He can play with bigs like Adem Bona and provide excellent rebounding and rim protection. Overall, drafting Broome in the second round was a great choice for the Sixers.
Nevertheless, Broome does have a major question in his game: his ability to handle opponents’ speed on defense. One thing that Broome struggled with was defending in space against quicker players. Considering that the NBA is filled with some of the best athletes in the world, that issue will only be exacerbated in the league. For Broome, Summer League is a good test to show how much he needs to improve defensively against those quicker players. Undoubtedly, Broome must get better in this aspect to become a better defender at the NBA level.
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