The Summer League Sixers are officially back in action. As always, there’s plenty to be excited about in the Summer League series – including the return of Tony Bradley, a closer look at breakout Sixer Ricky Council IV, and, of course, a first look at the Sixers’ 2024 draft picks, Jared McCain and Adem Bona. In particular, all eyes will be on McCain, a highly touted prospect who shockingly fell to the Sixers with the 16th overall pick.
While McCain offers tremendous upside as a shooter, the concern entering the league has consistently been around his size. McCain stands at just 6’2” with a 6’3.5” wingspan, which, even in today’s NBA, is pretty undersized. Add that to the fact that McCain is likely to share many of his regular season minutes with Tyrese Maxey, who is also just 6’2”.
Despite the vast skillset between the two of them, larger opponents may view this as an opportunity to quickly attack the basket before the Sixers can get back in transition. This is a valid concern. Even Tobias Harris, whose struggles on both ends of the court were magnified in Joel Embiid’s absence last season, was usually pretty good at taking advantage of a size mismatch with smaller guards in front of him.
But a Maxey-McCain undersized backcourt may actually prove to be advantageous to the Sixers if they can work it effectively. For one, both Maxey and McCain are excellent movement shooters. While Maxey is generally on-ball too much to take advantage of that skill, McCain specializes in playing off-ball, getting himself open in the slots to hit a near-instantaneous three. That’s a skill the Sixers have been missing for a very long time, and it’s a difference-maker for top teams in the East like the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.
Sixers fans got their first taste of the no-dip three-ball last season with Nico Batum, who showed all season just how essential quick releases are in today’s fast-paced NBA. But Batum, as a big man in his late 30s with a hefty role on defense, wasn’t exactly out-sprinting opponents in offensive transition for an open look.
In fact, a huge reason why the Miami Heat out-played the Sixers in the first half of the play-in game was their ability to use the zone defense to cut off access to the corners before the Sixers could get there. A guy like Jared McCain, while it’ll take some time and work, offers the upside of lightning-quick three-point shooting while also having the speed and agility to beat out opponents to the slot or corner.
Another potential upside of McCain is a bit of a domino effect in how the team positions Joel Embiid. With two smaller guards in the backcourt, the team will need someone with size to be available on defense much more quickly than they would otherwise. This may mean being strategic about placing Joel Embiid outside the paint more often on offense, working from the top of the key or around the perimeter to mix in more three-point shots.
This was a strategy Nick Nurse used more towards the end of the playoffs last season, and the Sixers would be wise to continue doing so. Of course, dominance in the post is Embiid’s signature, and it’s something he’ll always do. But positioning him more on the outside a bit more and allowing him to either mix in open threes or set screens through Tyrese Maxey will help him to get back on defense more quickly, supporting an undersized backcourt and potentially even preserving his knees in the long run.
Backcourt size isn’t something the Sixers have had to think about too much in recent years, and it’ll take some time for a rookie like McCain to fully develop and make it work consistently. But the upsides to his skillset could very much outweigh the potential cons, and could even allow the Sixers to use their resources more efficiently. It’s worth a shot to pursue, and McCain could potentially become a key X-factor in the Sixers’ battle for the East.
