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Jared McCain continued to turn heads at the start of his rookie season on Friday night.
The Philadelphia 76ers point guard finished with a team-high 30 points during a 113-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets. McCain added five rebounds, three assists and two steals while shooting 11-20 from the field and 6-11 from three-point territory.
After hitting his sixth triple to push Philadelphia’s lead to 12 points in the fourth quarter, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft called himself the Rookie of the Year.
McCain has been a bright spot for the 76ers despite their slow start to the season. He’s now scored at least 20 points in seven straight games.
Fans were impressed with his performance.
Josh Reynolds @JoshReynolds24
However good you think Jared McCain is, he’s better. I promise. The kid literally makes the smart play 100% of the time. He’s an unconscious shooter. Midrange is automatic. Elite finishing ability. He’s absolutely unbelievable & may just in fact be the Sixers savior.
His emergence as an instant contributor is crucial for a 76ers team that has dealt with injuries to stars such as Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George to open the year. Embiid and George didn’t suit up against Brooklyn on Friday due to knee issues.
On the season as a whole, McCain is averaging 16.5 points and 2.7 assists per game on 48.4/42.7/97.1 shooting splits.
Despite the 76ers’ 3-12 record, the former Duke standout’s name should come up in the Rookie of the Year conversation if he’s able to maintain his production throughout the remainder of his inaugural season.