76ers News: Jared McCain in Exclusive Rookie Scoring Company

76ers guard is the only rookie this season with consecutive 20-point games.

Nov 10, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) reacts after scoring against the Charlotte Hornets during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Over the past week, one of the biggest storylines around the Philadelphia 76ers has been the play of Jared McCain. He has been given the chance to get extended minutes, and has been making the most of the opportunity.

On Sunday night, McCain was the hero for the Sixers as they picked up their second win of the season. The rookie guard erupted for 27 points, setting a new-career high for the former first-round pick.

Fast forward to Tuesday, and the young guard has continued to keep his positive momentum rolling against the New York Knicks. Even with Paul George and a returning Joel Embiid in the fold, McCain still managed to put together and impressive performance.

In 30 minutes off the bench, McCain finished as the Sixers second-leading scorer with 23 points. He let it fly from beyond the arc an impressive ten times and connected on four of those attempts.

big fella ➡️ the rook. pic.twitter.com/EOJ7Gw9Cwl

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 13, 2024

With his performance against the Knicks, McCain set himself apart from the rest of the 2024 rookie class. As of now, he is the only first-year player with back-to-back games of at least 20 points.

This is @sixers @J_mccain_24's second consecutive 20-point game, after scoring a career-high 27 on Sunday against Charlotte.

McCain is the first rookie with multiple 20-point games this season (five other rookies have one each).

h/t @Stathead

— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) November 13, 2024

Being vastly shorthanded to start the year, the Sixers have had to rely on their supporting cast in a big way. McCain has managed to do his part as the team attempts to fill the void left by an injured Tyrese Maxey.

As he continues to stockpile strong offensive performances, Nick Nurse seems to be giving McCain a longer leash. He entered the year towards the bottom of the guard depth chart, but is now getting minutes over both Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson. Given his recent hot streak, Nurse has made the rookie a mainstay in the rotation as they navigate their injury woes.