76ers Standout Jared McCain Sends Stern Message to 2024 Rookie Class

76ers guard admits he's looking to battle those drafted ahead of him.

Nov 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Following an impressive freshman campaign at Duke, Jared McCain saw himself drafted 16th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. Coming off the best performance of his young career, he did shy away about his feelings towards his fellow rookies.

Heading into their matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Sixers found themselves without the services of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey. With the team's main pillars out, it was on the supporting cast to take on the league's final unbeaten team.

The shorthanded Sixers ended up making things interesting with the Cavs, in large part due to the play of McCain. He took full control of the offense, notching a team-high 34 points and 10 assists. McCain also had a rather efficient night, shooting 46.2% from the field and beyond the arc.

During his postgame press conference, McCain was asked his feelings about his draft class and where he landed. As expected, he confidently said he felt he should have gone higher. McCain also admitted that he's looking forward to taking on those selected ahead of him.

"You'd be lying if you think I believe that there's 15 guys better than me," McCain said of his rookie class. "In this draft I definitely got my eye on people who I want to play and just always play with a chip on my shoulder no matter what it is."

From an offensive standpoint, McCain is already looking like one of the best offensive talents from his draft class. As of now, he is the only first-year player to compile multiple 20-point outings this season.

The rook has been hooping 💪

Can Jared McCain win the NBA Rookie of the Year award? pic.twitter.com/mQCWxiPvyf

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) November 14, 2024

Despite being a first-year player on a star-studded roster, McCain is not lacking any confidence on the floor. He is constantly working on his game behind the scenes, which has instilled faith in him that he can compete with anyone. For the Sixers, this emergence has been arguably their biggest bright spot in the opening weeks of the season.