BOSTON — The Philadelphia 76ers are set to take on the rival Boston Celtics on the road on Wednesday night to begin the 2025-26 season with their sights set on getting back on the path of title contention. They had a brief detour into the woods in the 2024-25 season and will be looking to get back on track.
A key reason for optimism is the return of Joel Embiid from injury, but rookie guard VJ Edgecombe is set to step in and produce right away for Philadelphia. The No. 3 pick in the draft out of Baylor is set to make his NBA debut on Wednesday and all eyes are on him as he looks to help the Sixers chase their first title since 1983.
“Just happy to be here,” a smiling Edgecombe said on Wednesday morning as he took the TD Garden floor for shootaround. “Blessed. Yeah, I’m just ready to play, for real.”
With that being said, Boston is not an easy place to walk into and produce for anybody, let alone a 20-year-old rookie. While he has played in some raucous environments during his time leading up to the NBA, the crowd at TD Garden can get loud and can throw off any opponent.
“I’ve heard it,” Edgecombe said of Boston. “It’s credit to their fans for showing love to their team. At the end of the day, you’re gonna have that everywhere you go, you know? You play against teams that have passionate fans and you gotta embrace it.”
The Celtics are tough-minded. Even though they had to make a lot of changes in the offseason and they won’t have Jayson Tatum due to his injury, they are still a seriously talented team. Coach Joe Mazzulla has created a culture and a standard in Boston and they will pressure the rookie every time he touches the ball. Guys like Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and Jaylen Brown–if he is able to play as he’s dealing with a hamstring issue–will make life tough for him.
“I feel like every team is doing that now,” Edgecombe said. “That’s how basketball is being played now, you know? Pressure on defense and stuff like that, so just being prepared, have good ball security, and we have good guards. It’s nothing they haven’t seen before.”
With that being said, Edgecombe is a basketball junkie. He knows the ins and outs of just about everybody in the league without even playing a game yet just because of how he consumes the game. He knows what the Celtics offer. This will come down to whether he and the Sixers can execute their game plan and do what they have to do at this stage.
“They’re a great team, you know?” Edgecombe finished. “Obviously, they have their resume. They have a good coach, good players, but at the end of the day, man, I’m gonna focus on our team. Like I said, Boston’s great, so.”
Tip off from TD Garden is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT.
