VJ Edgemcombe had arguably the best professional debut among the current crop of rookies, recording 34 points in the Philadelphia 76ers' win against the Boston Celtics. Fortunately for the Charlotte Hornets, several of their 2025 offseason acquisitions balled out, although in a different way, in their victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
The third overall pick made history on Wednesday by breaking Allen Iverson's franchise record for most points in a debut by six points. In addition, only Wilt Chamberlain (43 points in 1959) and Frank Selvy (35 points in 1954) scored more in their maiden appearance as an NBA rookie.
It was an impressive performance, for sure, as Edgecombe had 14 points in the first quarter and silenced those who doubted his ability to space the floor by knocking down five 3-pointers. He also added seven rebounds to make an impact on the other facets of the game.
Perhaps some folks within the Hornets organization who caught wind of Edgecombe's breakout performance wondered how the promising guard would have fared had he made his way to the Queen City. It's understandable to feel that way, as he appears to be every bit a generational prospect. However, a look at Charlotte's stellar win earlier in the day should help them forget about Philadelphia's possible future star.
Hornets have plenty of contributors in the folds
The franchise's "consolation prize" after missing out on Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Edgecombe deserves praise for showing how solid a connecter he can be for the Hornets. Kon Knueppel logged 11 points on 4-6 shooting (3-4 from beyond the arc) and five rebounds. His stats weren't gaudy compared to those of his more heralded draft classmates, but that was likely because of the squad's balanced offense, one that saw nine players score in double digits.
Charlotte's most productive rookie on Wednesday was Ryan Kalkbrenner. The starter had a double-double (10 points and 11 rebounds) while demonstrating his potential to be a steady rim protector (two blocks). It's worth noting that he was the first Hornet since 2004 to have a double-double in his NBA debut.
Sion James made a surprise appearance, as Charles Lee subbed him for Knueppel with 7:08 remaining in the opening stanza. Less than two minutes later, he rejected Michael Porter Jr.'s layup. Charlotte may be lacking a trustworthy point-of-attack defender at the moment, but James could soon change that reality.
It would have been fascinating to see Liam McNeeley get some run, even during garbage time. However, he was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully, Lee had a good reason not to give the first-round pick a chance to showcase his game. Still, having McNeeley on the roster gives the Hornets another promising youngster who can carve a role in their rotation one day.
None of them may have the ceiling of Edgecombe, but that shouldn't be a problem if all four rookies can prove to be valuable contributors for the Hornets.