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Paul George Impressed By 76ers Rookie's Summer League Debut

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Reign Amurao | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 11:22 PM ET

The Philadelphia 76ers acquired former Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe in the 2025 NBA draft with the No. 3 pick. Fans already knew that Edgecombe possesses incredible athleticism but on Saturday, fans got to see how good the guard is when he debuted in the Salt Lake City Summer League.

Edgecombe faced the No. 5 pick of the Utah Jazz, Ace Bailey. He outperformed the 6-foot-10 forward and had 28 points on 13-of-27 shooting. The 76ers' rookie added 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal in his debut.

Given his showing on the court, he was able to impress his veteran teammate, Paul George. In the recent episode of his show, "Podcast P with Paul George," he commended Edgecombe's Summer League debut.

George had nothing but praise for his rookie teammate and his ability to get comfortable with his game in the NBA.

“I thought he looked good. I thought he looked good on both ends of the floor. It's dope to see the difference between college and NBA with spacing. Because, you know, he was able to get to his midi,” George said.

Due to his ability to play at a high level on both ends, George was confident enough to compare the youngster to a former 76ers star, Jimmy Butler.

“He got that dog in him. Watching him, it was like watching a young Jimmy,” George declared. “He moves like Jimmy. Kind of has that mid-range tenacity.”

"VJ showed flashes of stardom."

PG was impressed by new teammate VJ Edgecombe's Summer League debut pic.twitter.com/O92IuasW03
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) July 10, 2025

It is encouraging to be compared to a six-time All-Star, and it may indicate that the rookie guard is headed in the right direction. Given what George said about his new teammate, there's a general belief that Edgecombe will thrive in the NBA.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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