Like another top-three team in the draft, such as the San Antonio Spurs, the Philadelphia 76ers had a successful draft. Both of their drafted rookies had Summer League games where they showed their intriguing upside. Undoubtedly, both have the potential to be important pieces in the future for Philadelphia. However, each rookie certainly has things they need to develop as they enter the league.
With their rookie seasons fast approaching, it is time to set the expectations that each rookie must meet for the 2026 NBA season. Let’s delve into one expectation for each Sixers rookie for the 2026 NBA season.
2025-26 NBA Season: One Expectation For Each Sixers Rookie
VJ Edgecombe
Expectation: Edgecombe Improving His On-Ball Offense
With the 3rd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Sixers selected Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe. Standing at six-foot-five, Edgecombe is an incredibly athletic guard who can provide excellent defense and great offensive upside. His athleticism, in particular, can be seen on both ends of the floor.
Edgecombe can make a highlight defensive play on one end and convert that into a devastating dunk on the other. He has certainly demonstrated versatility as a defender, being able to guard multiple positions and be switchable defensively. Offensively, Edgecombe has flashes of being a strong driver to the basket using his improving handle. Not only that, but Edgecombe is a solid shooter, knocking down 36.3% of his catch-and-shoot threes. His overall skill set was featured to full effect during his shot time in Summer League, impressing fans and analysts alike.
Undoubtedly, Edgecombe has the skills and athleticism to have a major impact in the backcourt for Philadelphia. However, he has specific areas in his game that he must develop further. One clear area that can take his game to the next level is improving his offense when playing on the ball. As mentioned before, he has shown flashes of strong driving ability, but his touch and handle still lags behind. If Edgecombe can improve his on-ball offense, his ceiling raises exponentially. It is not an easy ask to get those on-ball reps as he contends with other guards like Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain in front of him in the pecking order. Nevertheless, Edgecombe should show improvement by the end of the season.
Johni Broome
Expectation: Broome Translating His Defense To The NBA
The Sixers used the 35th overall pick to select Auburn big man Johni Broome. The six-foot-ten center has excelled in college as a strong interior scorer who can also provide solid passing. Not only that, but he had shown strong paint defense as a rim protector. Broome has also flashed some shooting potential. Similar to Edgecombe, Broome showcased what he can provide at Summer League, both in terms of production and upside.
For Broome, he clearly is center depth for a Philadelphia team that frequently loses their star big, Joel Embiid, to injury. The Sixers have enough depth to cover Embiid’s absence on offense, but they need their bigs to play defense. One major question for Broome coming out of the draft is whether or not he can translate to the NBA defensively. For that reason, the expectation for Broome should be for him to find a way to translate his defense to the NBA level.
Broome certainly has the physicality and discipline to defend bigs, but he must improve his lateral quickness. While he does have the basketball IQ to defend guards, there will be a speed deficit. If Broome is successful at this, he will certainly be a solid backup center for the Sixers.
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