Jared McCain's Shooting Could Open up Paul George, Others for 76ers

Jared McCain isn't necessarily a one-trick pony, but he'll be relying a ton on his transferrable shooting in his season debut in the NBA. That'll surely be beneficial for the other 76ers on the offensive end throughout this year.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jared McCain arrives before the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Duke's Jared McCain shot the ball at one of the highest clips in the nation a year ago, performing at the highest collegiate stage and showcasing to NBA scouts what he had to offer at the time. Now, at six months post-tournament, his entrance into the professional landscape is one that should elevate his new team, the Philadelphia 76ers.

As the No. 16 selection back in June, McCain joins the 76ers at the same time as veteran star Paul George, and in the same time frame as Tyrese Maxey reaches the brink of his prime while Joel Embiid peaks at the height of his stardom. For a team who has struggled to reach far into the postseason, this team's storm is culminating, and it has the opportunity to blossom this Philadelphia team into true title contenders.

McCain's arrival happens to be in support of that, with his transferrable shooting as a 41.4% shooter from beyond the arc in his lone season at Duke displaying what he's capable of on that front -- and these weren't wide-open spot-up threes either. His shooting came from a plethora of different angles and preparations. On the move in transition, springing out of a pin-down into a quick-trigger release, shot fakes into side steps, his sheer versatility as an outside shooter moved mountains in his draft stock as an undersized 6-foot-2 guard who also defends with vigor.

The 76ers front office realized that, and opted for him in the No. 16 slot — but this doesn't only create a benefit for the team from his sole scoring skill set, it also clears the offense and its important pieces up without mentioning playmaking.

A pure shooter of his caliber, when consistent of course, forces teams to create game plans surrounding that shooting threat -- minimizing defenses' prioritization from the likes of hyper-scoring talents in Maxey, George and Embiid. When McCain is hot, it'll create problems locking down at least one of those three depending who is on the floor.

George has been in a few situations where his surrounding guards are best with the ball in their hands, which conflicts with how George's improvisation operates. Maxey works extremely well without the ball despite his ability to create — McCain, as discussed, does not need the dribble pull up to excel as a shooter, allowing George to nagivate the offense a bit more freely.

While the 76ers haven't yet cracked the code, they're building the right personnel around its established core

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