*Welcome to our Sixers player preview series, where in the weeks leading up to Media Day we will preview the upcoming 2025-26 season for each and every member of the Sixers' standard roster.*For each player, we will pose two key questions about their season before making a prediction.
The pressure is on after a miserable 24-58 campaign last season. After entering a year with championship aspirations and spending multiple months having to tank for the sake of a protected first-round pick, the Sixers have lost any and all benefit of the doubt that their signature season is finally coming.
It is safe to say there is a whole lot of work to do on the Sixers' end to prove the doubters wrong. Do they have a roster good enough to make it happen?
Up next: Justin Edwards, one of the biggest winners of last year's collapse. As injuries piled up, the Sixers gave their undrafted rookie significant runway. He quickly earned a conversion from a two-way contract to a standard deal, emerged as a rotation-caliber wing and earned a three-year contract this summer. How much can the Sixers rely on him moving forward?
SIXERS PLAYER PREVIEWS
Jared McCain | Justin Edwards
What will Edwards' offensive role look like on a healthier team?
It was a surprise when Sixers head coach Nick Nurse decided to give Edwards a rotation look for the first time. The Sixers were in Sacramento, and they needed someone to defend Kings star DeMar DeRozan. It was quite an ask for a rookie. But there were signs, even dating back to the preseason, that Nurse was impressed by Edwards' demeanor, composure and feel for the game.
That October impression earned Edwards a December opportunity, and he parlayed that into a full-time rotation role and standard contract. By the time his rookie season was nearing its end, Edwards had earned an enormous amount of trust from his head coach.
"I think that it's pretty rare. I mean, I've kind of said this from the beginning with him: I thought there were two things that he had. One is his willingness and want to and desire to play defense and guard the ball. He'll go give you his best effort on whoever he gets thrown on and does a good, credible job. He's long, he's strong, he's got some savvy there defensively and he knew how to play offense. He understands spacing. The ball finds him for shots because he's in the right place. The closeouts, he finds the closeouts because he's in the right place. The best thing is he doesn't force it very often when the defense rotates to help, or when he's got the next quick pass, he makes it. And that is very important, too. And I think especially when you're trying to piece a team together and get guys to play certain roles, like he certainly could fit a role for our team in that aspect." -- Nick Nurse on Edwards' feel, March 30.
The most interesting development between December and the end of the season for Edwards was his growth offensively. When he first started getting playing time in that Sacramento game and beyond, he was expending just about all of his energy on defense while standing in the background offensively. But he clearly grew more comfortable as the season went on.
First, it was a quick trigger on three-point shots, which will be one of the most valuable parts of Edwards' game moving forward. Then it was a more assertive scoring mentality as the shot clock expired. Edwards attempted 16.1 shots per 100 possessions as a rookie and just over half of his shots were threes.
By the time March arrived, Edwards was scoring in all sorts of different ways:
However, many of Edwards' scoring eruptions came in games with little to no NBA-caliber support. He had to take lots of shots, and he still impressed. How Edwards is used on the offensive end in his second NBA season – a year in which the Sixers hope and expect him to have a much lesser scoring burden – will be an interesting trend to monitor.
Will he primarily function as a spot-up shooter whose quick trigger comes in handy? Will Nurse ever run plays for Edwards to try to utilize his sneaky mid-range chops? The eventual answer to these questions might depend on the availability of Edwards' higher-profile teammates more than the hometown kid's own skill development.
MORE: Edwards proves to be 'a great hidden gem' in rookie year
How often will Edwards be able to slide up to power forward?
This is quietly one of the more important questions worth asking about anyone on this year's roster as it relates to Nurse's ability to piece together a quality rotation. Paul George's availability for the beginning of the season only draws more attention to the Sixers' potential issues at the four, where there is no sure thing as far as consistent production is concerned.
Edwards has a sturdy build on the wing, but he is definitely more small forward than power forward. Edwards should never be expected to turn into a full-time four. But if he can get near a 50/50 split of his minutes between those two positions early on in the season, it would go an extremely long way. Perhaps if things go well in the opening months of the campaign the Sixers would pursue an upgrade at the four via trade and Edwards could get back to focusing on perimeter assignments.
But in order to actually achieve that strong start, the Sixers are going to need quality power forward minutes from people who typically do not play the position. Trendon Watford and two-way player Jabari Walker each have pathways to becoming viable rotation pieces at the position, but it will not be enough. Aside from George, the only logical answer to help fill that spot is Edwards.
Edwards has the defensive intensity, strength and situational awareness to hold his own at the four when opposing teams are utilizing three-wing lineups. Double-big lineups are making a major comeback, though, and against those units Nurse might have to go with Watford or Walker for their superior size.
The most valuable youngsters the Sixers will have in 2025-26 are guards. In order to play all of Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe, Nurse will have to play three-guard lineups. To create open minutes at small forward for Grimes and Edgecombe, the Sixers will either have to significantly cut into Edwards' playing time or slide him up to the four. If they can consistently feel comfortable doing the latter, the team's lineup versatility will grow significantly.
MORE: Edwards guarded the NBA's best as a rookie while 'not backing down at all'
Prediction
Edwards does not make a substantial leap as an on-ball scorer, but once again performs like a rotation-caliber wing capable of occasionally sliding up to power forward for the benefit of lineup versatility. Edwards remains an important part of the Sixers' future, even if not as a franchise cornerstone.
The biggest concern when it comes to Edwards' potential transition to power forward might not be his defense or his build – Edwards defends with physicality and has plenty of time to add bulk to his frame – but instead his ability to hold up on the glass. The Sixers are loud about their desire to win the possession battle, and Edwards will need to be able to contribute in that respect.
For what it's worth, Edwards has spoken about placing an emphasis on rebounding. Before what became an underwhelming Summer League run for Edwards, he was asked what his goals were for Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
"Just trying to be an all-around player. One of my goals is to try to get two offensive rebounds every game," Edwards said. "I do that, that's more opportunity for our team."
If Edwards can maintain his focus on rebounding – not just reviving Sixers possessions but terminating opposition chances – he has everything he needs to become the sort of multi-positional frontcourt chess piece that Nurse could use. Even if Edwards does not have a clear path to NBA stardom, he certainly has a runway to become an extremely valuable role player for years to come.
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