The Philadelphia 76ers opened the summer league on Saturday when they faced the Utah Jazz in the Salt Lake City portion of the schedule. The Sixers will play three games in Utah before heading out to Las Vegas on July 10 for at least five games at the campus of UNLV.
The summer league is all about development and growth. The Sixers want to see what they have in their youngsters such as rookies VJ Edgecombe and Johni Broome as well as second-year players Justin Edwards and Adem Bona. The summer league is the perfect time for first impressions and the Sixers got some good ones in a tough 93-89 loss to the Jazz.
Edgecombe had 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, while Broome had 13 points and five rebounds with three of those boards coming on the offensive end. Bona added 16 points and eight rebounds while Edwards added 13 points and Jalen Hood-Schifino gave six and eight assists. Judah Mintz had 11 points off the bench.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
VJ Edgecombe: A
The 3-point shot was a bit shaky, and his ball-handling will need work, but Edgecombe’s ability to get to his spots in this one was impressive. His athleticism is off the charts and he showed a controlled offensive game meaning he didn’t force much in terms of his own offense. There was a play in the first half when he went coast-to-coast for a vicious slam which is something you just can’t teach. His athletic ability is just eye-popping. He was moving all over the place in this one, which led to him essentially running into rebounds due to his never-ending movement. He was in the right place the majority of the night and made plays that will translate to winning. It’s summer league, so one has to take results with a grain of salt, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the rookie in this one.
CLEAR THE RUNWAY FOR VJ EDGECOMBE ✈️🤯
The No. 3 overall pick for the @sixers is showing off his skills on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/c0dGlNEptB
— NBA (@NBA) July 6, 2025
Johni Broome: B
Starting at the power forward spot in this one, Broome showed off a soft touch around the basket and on the perimeter as he knocked down a couple of 3-pointers as he showed off his range. He rebounded well, which is really his calling card, and was especially helpful on the offensive glass. He couldn’t grab a rebound in the second half, but he contributed in this one. There is an obvious talent there so the Sixers should tap into his potential.
Adem Bona: A
Well, Bona is still Bona, and that’s a good thing! The energy he brought to the floor in this one set the tone for the summer Sixers as he was running from rim to rim to make sure he was in a position to help on both ends and had a ew rim-rattling slams on offense while being in the right position to protect the rim on defense. He was efficient with his offense and was a real presence on the glass. The only real negative for Bona in this one was the foul trouble as he was caught in a few tough positions, but he was terrific in other areas.
Justin Edwards: C
The second-year forward looked confident on the offensive end in this one. He knocked down a deep triple to start his night and moved well off the ball to get himself an easy look. It wasn’t the most efficient night in terms of his field goal shooting, but he got to the line and was able to help on the offensive end in that respect. He just had a tough time converting on his looks in this one, which happens. It’s basketball and it’s all about moving on to the next shot.
Jalen Hood-Schifino: C
Getting the start at point guard, Hood-Schifino had his struggles against the pressure the Jazz played with on the perimeter. He had a tough time getting the Sixers into their offense and was unable to knock down the open looks that he received. He does deserve credit for his entry passes into Broome to help him get going on the offensive end.
Alex Reese: C-plus
Looking to build off his run with the Sixers toward the end of the 2024-25 season, Reese helped in the rebounding department and was able to help with the floor spacing. He did, however, have a tough night on the defensive end as the Jazz seemed to hunt him a bit.
Judah Mintz: B-plus
Mintz had his mind on one thing: get to the basket. He did that often in this one as the Jazz had trouble staying in front of him which led to Mintz getting to the foul line and converting on his looks. He averaged 21.2 points in the 2024-25 season playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, so his scoring mentality is not a surprise.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: VJ Edgecombe, Sixers fall to Jazz in summer league