Despite a rough outing in a blowout against the Clippers, Jared McCain remains the clear frontrunner for Rookie of The Year. With Dalton Knecht thriving in his recent opportunities, many have argued for Knecht for Rookie of the Year, but McCain’s consistency and calmness as the Sixers’ season seems to be going up in flames is something that we haven’t seen from a rookie in his position in a long time. McCain may have struggled to see playing time earlier in the season, but now that he’s been given the opportunity with Philly dealing with injuries, he hasn’t looked back.
Jared McCain Is The Rookie Of The Year
A Mature Skillset
Coming into the season, many knew of McCain’s ability to drain the three-ball. However, some questioned whether his ability to score on his own and score inside the three-point line would cause issues on the next level. But in the first 16 games of the season, it’s clear that isn’t the case. For the majority of the season, McCain has been the go-to guy on the floor, no matter if he’s sharing the floor with Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, or even Joel Embiid. Part of that is because of McCain’s mature skillset as a rookie.
McCain has displayed an ability to shoot the three and move without the ball, which is similar to a young Stephen Curry. Not to be confused with the MVP and championship-winning Steph that we are accustomed to. His ability to relocate for a better look and make himself visible to the ball-handler is vet-like. He also displays an ability to finish at the rim through contact. Comparing him to others in his draft class, most do not have as mature of a skillset as McCain. We don’t see many rookies who are great at moving without the ball and creating scoring opportunities for themselves. McCain is already an efficient three-level scorer and solid defender at 6-foot-2. If everything goes right, he has the potential to become even better than he already is.
Greater Responsibilities
Compared to the rest of the rookies in the draft class, McCain has arguably more responsibilities than any of his other draft classmates. Since McCain has become a mainstay in the Sixers rotation, he’s been one of, if not the main source of offense for Philly. In a season that has seen George, Maxey, and Embiid miss time, McCain has been the number one option on multiple occasions. The Sixers have looked to McCain for self-creation when scoring the ball, which they’ve struggled with. McCain has not disappointed in his role. If not for McCain, Philly could be sitting at 1-15 instead of 3-13. Which, considering the circumstances, 3-13 is the better option.
While Knecht has been great lately, he does not hold nearly as much responsibility playing alongside Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Knecht has been used mostly as a spot-up option playing off the attention of AD and Bron. That’s in comparison to McCain, who has seen the offense revolve around him in games without the Sixers’ trio. Not to take any credit away from Knecht Four, but right now, McCain is the clear-cut frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.
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