76ers News: Jared McCain in Exclusive Company With Michael Jordan

76ers rookie continues to be major bright spot for struggling squad.

Nov 22, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) reacts to his three pointer against the Brooklyn Nets during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

While the Philadelphia 76ers might be off to a rough start as a whole, Jared McCain has taken the NBA world by storm. With his most recent outing, the former No. 16 pick managed to etch his name in the history books.

Over the past three weeks, McCain has become a focal point in Nick Nurse's rotation. He slowly saw his minutes increase with each passing game, eventually being promoted to the starting lineup. Even with all the constant change around him, the young guard has continued to thrive and be a major bright spot for the group.

Since his 34-point barrage against the Cleveland Cavaliers, McCain has remained in the starting lineup. There is some skepticism about him and Tyrese Maxey sharing the backcourt defensively, but they showed there's no problems on the other end of the floor.

On Friday night, the Sixers were back on their home floor to take on the Brooklyn Nets in NBA Cup action. They managed to put an end to their five-game losing streak, in large part due to the play of their starting backcourt. Maxey finished with 26 points and five assists, while McCain erupted for a team-high 30 points.

MCCAIN & MAXEY 2ND HALF TAKEOVER 🔥

Jared McCain: 30 PTS (21 in 2H), 6 3PM
Tyrese Maxey: 26 PTS (16 in 2H), 5 AST, 4 STL

The pair scored 37 of the @sixers 60 2nd half points in the #EmiratesNBACup win 🏆 pic.twitter.com/j5BpNZ1bpi

— NBA (@NBA) November 23, 2024

In the midst of helping his team put an end to their losing skid, McCain landed himself in some exclusive company. Through his first five starts, he is averaging 26.6 PPG and 5.2 APG on 51/48/93 shooting splits. This is the highest scoring total from a rookie since NBA icon Michael Jordan.

Jared McCain as a starter:

30 PTS | 3 AST | 6 3P
34 PTS | 10 AST | 6 3P
29 PTS | 4 AST | 5 3P
20 PTS | 4 AST | 4 3P
20 PTS | 5 AST | 3 3P

Averaging 26 PPG as a starter — the most by a rookie since Michael Jordan. pic.twitter.com/yZWnSibf9R

— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 23, 2024

McCain has been nothing short of spectacular for the Sixers in the month of November. Over his last 11 games, he is averaging just shy of 21 PPG while shooting 49.1% from the field and 44.7% from beyond the arc.

With how he's played as of late, the Sixers seem to have struck gold again late in the first round. McCain and the rest of the group will look to keep their momentum rolling Sunday when they host James Harden and the LA Clippers.