In a season full of dysfunction for the Philadelphia 76ers, one consolation has been the stellar play of rookie guard Jared McCain. Just 13 games into the season, and the Sixers’ rookie sensation has grabbed national attention with his play this year.
In its third ranking this season, the NBA’s Kia Rookie Ladder saw McCain climb his way to the top spot, having ranked fifth in its previous iteration and going unranked to begin the year. It’s been a stead assertion for McCain who has made the most of his opportunity that, while the result of an unfortunate start to the season by his team, revealed just how ready for the league he is.
As for the why behind the ranking, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com explained how McCain was taking advantage of the very large opportunity he has received.
“McCain’s big jump in the Ladder came from big contributions. His production over the past week — 27.7 ppg, 50.8 FG%, 19.7 shots nightly, 10.7 of them from the arc — is right in line with Maxey’s work in his seven games before his injury. Additionally, his 27.3% usage rate ranks higher than Devin Booker’s and LeBron James’.”
Selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the general expectations by the public were that McCain was more likely to be used as trade bait than a rotational player. His youth, perceived raw abilities, and seeming redundancy with Tyrese Maxey gave many pause, especially with the more experienced Dalton Knecht, a wing, still on the board.
The dialog around the Sixers passing on Knecht quickly grew tiresome but lingered throughout the offseason, Summer League, training camp—where the team spoke glowingly about McCain, the first signal his ability—and the preseason. It was not until the Sixers’ matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 2, the same night the three-ball began falling for him—that fans truly began to believe in the young rookie.
On the season, Jared McCain is now averaging 15.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, while seemingly improving with each performance. There’s still a long way for the SiXers’ rookie to go in his NBA career, but it’s undeniable that the begining has been a success.
