Jared McCain becoming 'candidate' to start amid hot stretch, per Nick Nurse
Today at 11:10 PM
There's not much to say about the Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain other than he’s in the midst of a special stretch, unleashing a spectacular performance in his first NBA game as a starter.
Fresh off of two straight 20-point games, becoming the first player of his draft class to accomplish the feat, McCain lit the Cleveland Cavaliers up for 34 points and 10 assists in a 114-106 loss. It was the Sixers’ first game this season without any of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, so the loss was expected. Still, the 16th overall pick from the 2024 NBA Draft was outstanding and almost led Philly to a win over the NBA’s last undefeated squad.
After the loss, Nick Nurse admitted that he’s thinking about making McCain a permanent starter.
#Sixers rookie Jared McCain appears to be earning a bigger role on Nick Nurse's 76ers.@KYWNewsradiopic.twitter.com/trW6XWyDdB
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) November 14, 2024
"I think he certainly played his way right into the whole mix, for sure," Nurse said "And it’s a little too bad that he got hurt or whatever in that last preseason game because I think we were planning on using him pretty quick off the bench anyway. But you never know, see how it looks, see who's available and all that stuff. Obviously, [he] responded well to his first start but he’s got to be a candidate playing this well to get into that lineup."
Will Jared McCain become starter for 76ers at full strength?
For as good as McCain is, there are some serious reservations to have about starting him next to Maxey. Defensively, that backcourt would struggle. McCain is better at guarding up but that would still leave Maxey with tough assignments, likely resulting in him taking the opposing lead guard.
The upside to having McCain around Embiid, Maxey and George is that he’s the perfect type of player on offense to put around them. He’s a prolific three-point shooter, capable of attacking off the dribble and a smart passer. If he can look like the best player on a court with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland without them, imagine how much damage he can do when he gets reps with them.
Regardless of whether McCain starts or not, he’s going to continue being a major player for the 76ers.
The post Jared McCain becoming ‘candidate’ to start amid hot stretch, per Nick Nurse appeared first on ClutchPoints.
