Sixers' guard VJ Edgecombe has already proven to be one of the most clutch players in the 2026 rookie class, but where does he rank among the most clutch rookies in NBA history?
Selected third overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, Edgecombe’s scouting report was highlighted by his athleticism, his defensive instincts and his slashing capabilities. He was generally expected to have a high floor as a rookie, meaning he could contribute immediately, but most didn’t expect him to be as impressive as he has been.
As soon as the season began, Edgecombe proved the Sixers right, scoring 34 points in his rookie debut, the third most ever. Now, 68 games into the season, Edgecombe is averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists a night. Even more notable has been Edgecombe’s clutch-time play for the 76ers.
Most Sixers fans know how clutch VJ Edgecombe has been, hitting big-time shots against teams like Boston, Memphis, and others. But most NBA fans fail to see just how impressive he has been. In the clutch, according to NBA.com/stats, Edgecombe is shooting 58.7% from the field in clutch time, tops among rookies this season with a minimum of seven field goal attempts.
Among those same rookies, Edgecombe has also taken the second most field goal attempts in the clutch at 46, trailing only Dallas’s Cooper Flagg, who has 63 attempts and is only shooting 44.4%. Even Kon Knueppel, who ranks third with 44 attempts, is still only shooting 31.8% in the clutch by comparison.
The awe-inspiring clutch play doesn’t stop there, though. Edgecombe is currently shooting 54.5% from three in the clutch, leading all rookies with at least three clutch three-pointers attempted. He’s doing this on 22 three-pointers attempted. The only rookie he’s trailing in this category is the aforementioned Kon Knueppel with 27. For reference, Kon is shooting 22.2% on clutch threes this season.
Of course, this handily proves that VJ is a clutch performer. Comparing Edgecombe’s current marks to those of rookies from the last decade, the results were surprising.
Looking first at field goal percentage, Edgecombe’s 58.7% ranked as the ninth highest among all rookies to take at least 16 attempts. Factoring out big men like Walker Kessler and Brandon Clark, both of whom led the category, Edgecombe moves up to fourth among the last decade of rookie guards and forwards. He's trailing only Ben Simmons (65.7% on 35 attempts), Brandon Miller (60.0% on 20 attempts) and Jayson Tatum (58.8% on 51 attempts).
Looking at three-pointers next, Edgecombe actually leads everyone (minimum of 11 attempts in a season) in clutch three-point percentage as a rookie. Following behind him are Tyler Herro (47.4% on 19 attempts), Egor Demin (47.1% on 17 attempts) and Tyrese Haliburton (46.7% on 15 attempts).
This level of clutch efficiency for a rookie is completely unheard of in recent NBA memory, especially considering the volume of clutch shots VJ has attempted this season. In fact, he is the only rookie in the past decade to shoot over 50.0% from both the field and from three in clutch time. While his high-flying dunks and defensive instincts get a ton of attention, the national media would be wise to start recognizing just how special and clutch a player VJ Edgecombe has been this season.
