Why the Key to Any Sixers Success Will be… Jared McCain?

So far, McCain is statistically one of the best rookies in the NBA, and he’s already achieved something no pick outside of the top-6 has in the past five years…

Drafted out of Duke 16th overall in the first round of this year’s draft, Jared McCain would have gone inside the top-10 if everyone (including the Sixers) knew what they were getting when they selected him.

McCain is not only leading rookies – or at least among the top-5 – in a variety of statistics, but he’s also on a historic pace at the moment:

Most PPG by a rookie starter (minimum 2 starts):

28.2 — Michael Jordan
27.7 — Jared McCain

Great company.

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— StatMuse (@nbastatmuse.bsky.social) November 20, 2024 at 10:42 AM

McCain has six 20-point games so far this season, and at the moment he’s the only rookie with more than two 20-pointers.

McCain currently leads all rookies in PPG and ranks, among rookies (per StatMuse):

• 1st in FT% (hasn’t missed)
• 2nd in threes made
• 3rd in 3P%
• 3rd in FG%
• 3rd in true shooting %
• 5th in APG

In terms of Sixers who have played at least nine games this season, McCain leads the team in PPG despite only starting in four games so far.

He ranks 15th among rookies in steals per game and 18th in rebounds per game too.

In the games where the Sixers have been competitive, the critical element thus far has been McCain flying all over the court on both ends of the floor, and arguably taking control of the offense when he has the ball.

McCain is a scorer, a driver and creative finisher, a and more than willing and capable rebounder and defender. His presence is without a shadow of a doubt felt significantly on every offensive and defensive possession he’s a part of.

McCain plays with toughness and strength far beyond his size, and his willingness to attack the basket with a variety of creative finishes is refreshing to see.

One could argue McCain’s skillset as a finisher already rivals Maxey’s for the best finisher on the 76ers, despite McCain not even having half an NBA season of experience under his belt.

The first clip in this highlight reel exemplifies the creativity and speed McCain plays with every second, as he uses a quick cross over to cut to the basket while changing his finish and the arc of his shot to loft the ball perfectly over the secondary defender crashing to help:

20yo Jared McCain has not just been a good for a rookie, he’s been the best player on the Sixers so far this season…

Supremely under control. Decision making is excellent. Strong. Elite shooting. Movement is completely out of control—99th percentile feel right out of the gate https://t.co/ANJRRLHNPa pic.twitter.com/2GASXHvRxG

— NBA University (@NBA_University) November 22, 2024

While McCain plays with speed and tenacity, he doesn’t play with recklessness which is absolutely critical.

Right now McCain has the 13th-lowest turnover percentage among this year’s guards, and he has the 34th-lowest turnover percentage overall.

His offensive efficiency has been remarkable, as the “soft DEI hire with the painted nails” seemingly always makes the correct decision with the basketball with LeBron-like full-court awareness.

Check out these assists from the Sixers’ game against the Grizzlies for an example of McCain’s elite decision making, the first of which perfectly showcases the concept of always doing the right thing with the ball as he baits the double-team and zips a one-handed pass right between them to an open Andre Drummond for the easy bucket:

The Sixers gave Jared McCain more primary ball-handling duties than ever on Wednesday night in Memphis, challenging him to strike a balance between hunting his own shots and creating plays for his teammates. Here are McCain’s five assists from the game: pic.twitter.com/Vg98i3GsmX

— Adam Aaronson’s clips (@SixersAdamClips) November 22, 2024

Today McCain sits at seventh among guards in offensive box plus/minus, and he’s 13th among all positions (per Basketball Reference).

In terms of this year’s point guards, which StatMuse classifies him as, McCain leads the position group in free-throw percentage (only PG above 95%) and has achieved the following impressive marks:

• 5th in true shooting percentage
• 6th in three-point percentage
• 8th in field goal percentage
• 12th in threes per game
• 15th in PPG
• 16th in field goals per game

McCain is also the only non top-6 pick over the last five years with two consecutive 20-point games in their first 10 career games.

The only rookies from the last five seasons to have at least two consecutive 20-point games within their first 10 career games are Victor Wembanyama (1st overall), Paolo Banchero (1st), Scottie Barnes (4th), Benn Mathurin (6th), and now Jared McCain in the face of being selected 16th overall.

McCain might also be the most-talented three-point shooter on the Sixers, and his confidence from outside is a critical element in floor spacing for the Sixers offense. He can get hot quickly from outside if you let him, and his range and confidence has to be respected or else he’ll be raining threes like this all game:

All six of Jared McCain’s made threes vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers: pic.twitter.com/ocPJV3o546

— Adam Aaronson’s clips (@SixersAdamClips) November 14, 2024

If the 76ers have any hope of turning their disappointing season around, they’ll need to give McCain plenty of minutes while embracing his style of play.

He’s been on a tear lately as he’s scored at least 20 points, had at least one rebound, and dished out at least two assists in six straight games.

Hopefully McCain can contribute even more and continue improving as the year rolls along so the Sixers can finally turn this disastrous season around.