The Philadelphia 76ers run into a mammoth on the second night of a back-to-back, and as expected, they fell short as their record dropped to 2-9, their worst start since the 2016-17 season. Still, the team was not exactly a sight for sore eyes in their newest loss, as their makeshift cast largely went toe-to-toe against the league’s best club in the early going.
Cleveland, now boasting a 13-0 win-loss card to start the campaign, ultimately came out as the victors, but Philly actually even led for a good chunk of the game despite not having Joel Embiid and Paul George, whom the 76ers sat out of precaution, in addition to the already-absent Tyrese Maxey.
All credit goes to Jared McCain for this one. Coming off an explosive string of games, the rookie once again dazzled against a top-notch Cavaliers team, finishing the night with a game-high and career-high 34 points coupled with 10 assists, also a personal-best. In doing so, he also set a high league mark.
76ers rookie Jared McCain rises atop the FT ladder, lays early claim for ROTY
McCain was again highly efficient from the field, converting on 12 of his 26 field goal attempts and draining six of his 13 three-point attempts. In addition, he once again made all his tries from the charity stripe, and he’s yet to miss a single free-throw this season. His 21 made free-throws are the most out of anyone who has been immaculate from the free-throw line in the present campaign.
The Duke standout has been one of the more surprising developments in the NBA in the early going. While he was already widely pegged as one of the best pure scorers in the draft who can make an immediate impact in Year 1, his summer league and preseason stints suggested he still needs more time to acclimate to the speed of the NBA game, but so far, he’s looked incredibly comfortable in a major role.
His draft class was not exactly known for the depth of its talent, but from the looks of it, McCain is quickly emerging as one of the best players from his this year’s draft. It’s not a bold take to deem him as the early frontrunner for the award, especially if he keeps this level of production up even when Maxey returns and his role shrinks a bit.
Nevertheless, Jared McCain has already shown that he can contribute positively to an intensive win-now team. Hopefully, the Philadelphia 76ers continue giving him the wide canvas he needs to flourish and fully showcase his obviously league-ready game.