The Philadelphia 76ers thought they had landed a steal in the 2024 NBA Draft when Jared McCain began his career as the best rookie in the class. A year later, McCain's return from injury has not gone as expected, and a player they passed on looks like he would have been the better selection.
Such a framing would have seemed inexplicable a year ago, when McCain was shooting fireballs from his hands every time he shot the basketball. In 23 games to start his career, the Duke product shot 38.3 percent from deep, averaged 15.3 points per game and was the best offensive player on the 76ers before he went down with a season-ending injury.
Essentially, every development since that hot start has made the situation worse. McCain's injury recovery was a long and arduous one, and he has come back as a shell of the rookie phenom he once was. He is shooting only 32.3 percent from deep and 35.4 percent from the field overall, his scoring is down signifcantly, and when he steps onto the court, the 76ers turn into the worst team in the NBA.
McCain hasn't even been able to make an impact in the G League, as his shooting struggles are following him even to that level of competition. Where he was once thought to be a core piece, his play this season has him on the very fringe of the 76ers' rotation.
Add to that reality that the 76ers added another combo guard this summer in VJ Edgecombe, who has himself gotten off to a hot start to his career. He is a fixture in the starting lineup and looks like the long-term starter at the 2 beside Tyrese Maxey. With that being the case, there is much less of a need for McCain, even if he plays better; working three small guards into a rotation is possible, but not necessary.
The 76ers have no choice but to hope McCain's level of play rises again as he gets further removed from his knee injury, but that waiting becomes all the more painful as the "what if" question plagues them. What the 76ers need most right now, as they prepare for a playoff run, is help on the wing. It just so happens that one of the players they passed on to draft McCain is breaking out as the exact player this team needs.
Jaylon Tyson would be perfect for the 76ers
On Friday, January 16th, the Cleveland Cavaliers were in Philadelphia to play the 76ers. In a hard-fought back-and-forth contest, the Cavaliers came out on top by two points. The best player on the court? Second-year wing Jaylon Tyson, who dropped 39 points on 13-for-17 shooting, including seven 3-pointers, five rebounds and four assists -- the last assist coming on the game-winning basket.
It was the culmination of a weeks-long breakout, as Tyson has established himself as a strong option to start for Cleveland and a clear member of their core. For the season, he is now averaging 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and hitting an astonishing 47.3 percent of his 4.3 3-pointers per game.
The 76ers could desperately use a player like Tyson, a solid wing defender who has been unconscious shooting from deep and adds real scoring and playmaking chops. Whether he started at the 3 and Paul George at the 4, or whether he came off the bench behind George, the current Sixers would be much better off having Tyson than McCain -- both for their current level of play and their positional value.
Long-term, Tyson could grow into a wingman for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the likes of which McCain cannot be just due to his size. If the Sixers had drafted Tyson instead of McCain, they would be in a very different place right now.
Can McCain right the ship? Absolutely. Even if he does, however, it's becoming undeniable: they should have drafted Jaylon Tyson. Friday night, the knife was twisted in a cruel way, and their regret is only growing with each passing game.