Jared McCain landed at No. 22 on FanSided's 25-under-25 NBA Player Rankings this season, ranking the best young players in the NBA. Check out the rest of the list here.
The Philadelphia 76ers lucked into Jared McCain with the 16th overall pick a season ago. What felt like the perfect complement to Joel Embiid ended up being a lifeline for the Sixers as they struggled to get Embiid on the floor. That lifeline didn't last very long — a torn meniscus cut McCain's season at 23 games — but for a brief moment early in the season, Philadelphia was full of hope, almost all stemming from McCain's meteoric development.
He didn't have the most robust competition, but McCain was cake-walking to Rookie of the Year before the injury. Nothing is ever certain so early in the campaign, of course. Both Stephon Castle and Zaccharie Risacher came on strong down the stretch. But McCain was levels ahead of the competition, averaging 15.3 points and 2.6 assists on .460/.383/.875 splits. And more importantly, McCain just looked comfortable. Poised. Like he'd be on an NBA floor for years already.
McCain's abbreviated rookie season wasn't without its warts, especially on the defensive end, but the impact was deeply felt. The Sixers eventually slid into tank mode due to far-reaching injuries, but there was a tangible turning point when McCain got hurt. That seemed to suck the life out of the team, both on and off the court.
Philadelphia enters the 2025-26 season with complicated expectations. Joel Embiid is healthy. Paul George is almost back. But how long can their health last, synchronously? That will determine if the Sixers are frontrunners in the East or a basement-dweller yet again. McCain's health could also go a long way toward shaping the Sixers' season.
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Jared McCain is the Sixers' secret weapon
McCain will miss a few weeks to begin the season as he rehabs a broken wrist. He will return to a far more loaded backcourt than the one he shared with Tyrese Maxey a year ago. Since McCain's torn meniscus last December, Philadelphia has traded for Quentin Grimes and selected VJ Edgecombe with the No. 3 overall pick. Both will compete almost directly for minutes with McCain.
The Sixers should be able to find time for all four, of course, especially with Nick Nurse touting the possibility of three-guard lineups. McCain also has the advantage of being the most natural point guard, although Philly has experimented with Edgecombe as a ball-handler in the preseason. Plus Grimes was basically the centerpiece of the offense for a month to end last season.
McCain will need to rise above the crowd and prove that he wasn't a 23-game flash in the pan, which could be tough after multiple injury setbacks. He's the weakest defender of the bunch. He wasn't a top-3 pick. He's not a max contract star like Maxey. Philadelphia's developmental priorities have shifted.
And yet, McCain is good enough to come through — and "rise above." He's just smart beyond his years, with an extraordinary feel for the game, which is so often the most underrated indicator of future stardom. McCain is a knockdown shooter, a rapid-fire connective passer and while he doesn't get much credit, McCain is also one heck of a slasher. What he lacks in speed, McCain compensates for with strength and ball-handling craft. He's not going to break out spin moves and crossovers like Kyrie Irving, but he can leverage his strong frame and deploy changes in speed to carve out space and exploit angles to the rim.
It helps that he's an elite shooter. McCain has deep range, he can shoot with equal comfort on- or off-ball, and his instincts for moving into open space are preternatural. There were genuine Steph-lite moments from McCain last season, as he just gravitates to the exact right spots and pulls the defense with him.
McCain should thrive alongside Embiid. His instincts for movement and passing should brilliantly complement the other guards. He will need to figure it out on defense — or the Sixers will need to figure out how to best hide him — but McCain has genuine star upside, with the chance to stand out among one of the deepest and most talented backcourt groups in the NBA.