With the playoffs well under way in the NBA, and the Philadelphia 76ers sitting on the outside for the first time in years, it feels like the right time to start giving player report cards out.
The Sixers, after swinging for the fences in free agency and acquiring veteran talent like Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, and Paul George, had their most disappointing season in recent history. That being said, there were still bright spots on the season, and one of those bright spots was the play of rookie guard Jared McCain.
With pick 16 in the 2024 NBA Draft, Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers jumped at the chance to draft a young guard from Duke University named Jared McCain. This pick received mixed reactions at the time. Some fans were very excited to add the explosive McCain, while others were split between adding Dalton Knecht or Tristan da Silva, two guys who seemed very pro-ready.
McCain changed the other fans’ minds quickly when, in November, McCain started to make his presence known. In an overtime victory, McCain helped lead the Philadelphia 76ers to their second win of the season, scoring 27 points off the bench. A few days later, McCain continued to build his Rookie of the Year case with a 34-point, 10-assist night in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Sadly, McCain’s rookie season quickly came to a close way too early in December when the then odds-on favorite for Rookie of the Year tore his meniscus in his left knee. The Sixers losing McCain was absolutely heartbreaking, but it gives some hope for the future of Philadelphia basketball, given how upsetting this past season was for some.
McCain ended the year after 23 appearances, averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.3 rebounds on a night on 46.0/38.3/87.5 shooting splits.
What needs to improve
McCain’s main area of improvement for next season is continuing to grow into his role with the Sixers. Although he played well, his fit with the team experienced growing pains.
For example, he played exceptionally well with fan favorite Guerschon Yabusele, who shot 45.7% from three with McCain compared to 36.4% without him. Yet some of the Sixers’ biggest stars all struggled to find the flow when sharing the court with him. Tyrese Maxey shot 34.1% from beyond the arc without McCain, but only 30.6% with him. Paul George’s true shooting percentage went from 50.5% with McCain up to 54.9% without him.
While much of this can be attributed to having an overperforming rookie play so few games, McCain will still need to focus on improving for next season. Should McCain start to find a seamless fit with the Sixers’ stars next season, he could prove to be an extremely dangerous piece of the team, whether he starts or not.
