The Steps to Success for Jared McCain

The 76ers’ rookie will have to take these steps to find success in Philadelphia.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jared McCain poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

With the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Jared McCain out of Duke. The 20-year-old surprised many with his level of success as a freshman for the Blue Devils. In 36 appearances, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting an efficient 61.1 TS%. In particular, McCain thrived from beyond the arc, where he shot 41.4% on 5.8 attempts per game. 

As his three-point shot leads the way, McCain will have to develop his game in a certain way to best complement 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid on the Sixers.

Most importantly, he’ll have to continue his proficiency as a shooter. Elite shooting has been hard to come by in Philadelphia, and McCain has latent potential to provide just that for the 76ers in due time. Further, he’ll have to improve defensively to take primary point-of-attack assignments.

With all-star Tyrese Maxey, a meddling defender, occupying one guard spot, his backcourt partner will have to pick up the defensive slack. McCain can leverage his impressive athleticism, smarts, and hustle ability to find success on defense.

Lastly, as an NBA guard, McCain will have to make strides as a creator. While he slots in well as an off-guard, the undersized off-guard archetype is hardly in demand in 2024. Alternatively, teams often opt for bigger wings to play off the ball on the perimeter.

Consequently, McCain needs to materialize his handling ability into legitimate creation value. This can come by way of his physical drives, solid touch, and ability to make positive reads inside the arc. This development will be the toughest of them all for McCain, but he has a lot of time to figure it out, and his creation outcome will ultimately define just how good of an NBA player he ends up as.

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