The Philadelphia 76ers had no answers for New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson a little over a year ago in the 2024 playoffs. And judging by their latest draft pick, they haven’t forgotten it.
With the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Sixers selected VJ Edgecombe, a high-upside defensive wing whose arguably biggest selling point right now is his ability to guard elite perimeter scorers.
From a Knicks perspective, it sure looks like the 76ers attempted to draft a "Brunson-stopper." Can you blame them?
The Sixers unraveled after that first-round loss to the Knicks, spiraling to a 24–58 record and their worst finish to a season since 2015–16. Joel Embiid’s health remains a major concern, the roster looks a bit directionless, and now they’re hoping a raw, athletically gifted wing can help change the narrative.
But for Knicks fans, it can't help but feel a little like Brunson broke them. Edgecombe is just the cleanup crew.
The 76ers are trying everything to stop Jalen Brunson
Brunson has made a habit of dismantling the Sixers ever since he arrived in New York. In 11 regular-season games against Philadelphia with the Knicks, Brunson has averaged 25.1 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.0 rebounds on efficient shooting. But that was just the precursor.
Brunson took things to another level in that famous 2024 playoff series, averaging 35.5 points, 9.0 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in six games as the Knicks sent the Sixers home in Round 1.
He dropped four straight 40-point games in that series, joining Michael Jordan as the only player in NBA history to do so in a single postseason. His 47-point, 10-assist masterclass in Game 4 at Wells Fargo Center still haunts 76ers fans to this day.
That performance shifted the tone of the entire series, and as it stands today, maybe the future of the entire 76ers franchise.
Philadelphia tried everything. Their primary option in both the regular season and playoffs was Kelly Oubre Jr., who picked up Brunson full court, chased him through screens, and still couldn’t slow him down.
Veteran wing Nic Batum took turns, too, in the playoffs, but nothing worked. Brunson repeatedly got to his spots, controlled the pace, and hunted mismatches at will. The Sixers had no defensive answers then, and with their roster gutted by injuries in 2024–25, things only got worse.
So when Philly used the No. 3 pick on Edgecombe, a long, athletic wing who projects as a high-end defender, it felt simultaneously like a best-player-available move and some sort of damage control.
Edgecombe might be the future in Philadelphia, but his assignment early in his career should be clear. He will be tasked with figuring out how to do what Oubre and Batum couldn’t. Try to stop Jalen Brunson.