Sixers rookie Jared McCain continues to thrive fearlessly: ‘there’s no reason why I should be scared’

Your average 20-year-old NBA rookie, fresh out of college and suddenly playing against the biggest and best in the league, is probably hoping to avoid going toe-to-toe with a defensive powerhouse like OG Anunoby.

But Jared McCain is not your average 20-year-old NBA rookie. The Sixers’ first-round pick from the 2024 draft, playing in just his tenth NBA outing, found himself, ball in hand, charging into the paint — with 6-foot-7 Anunoby (and his 7-foot-5 wingspan ) between McCain and the rim.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” McCain said with a laugh after Tuesday night’s game. “When I first get the ball in the 1-2 step, I think ‘either I have to commit to this, otherwise it will just be a weak presentation’.”

And commit, he did. Using every ounce of strength and athleticism in his 6-foot-2, sub-200 pound frame, McCain lifted the ball high in his right hand and went airborne for a monster jam attempt over Anunoby.

The slam didn’t fall, but McCain was fouled on the play and sank both of his free throws. But the end result of this being two points from the line instead of a successful jam is far from the point. The important thing is that this moment was the perfect encapsulation of what everyone around McCain has been saying about the young guard: he’s fearless, and that fuels his success.

“He just continues to be a real, real bright spot. Threat from three, which we obviously need. Attack creation on our own, which we obviously need. And he competes,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “He’s not scared out there and he’s played really well. Really big bright spot.”

Among rookies, McCain is second with 11.5 points per game. match, just a fraction of a point behind Atlanta HawksFreshman forward Zaccharie Risacher, who is averaging 11.7 points per game. match, but who also plays about 10 minutes more per fight than McCain so far. McCain has scored 18-plus points in each of the Sixers’ last three games and 20-plus points in the last two.

His career and this season are in their infancy, of course, but it’s enough to turn the heads of even the league veterans playing alongside him.

“I think just a level of (being) fearless. He’s relentless, he’s confident. You don’t see a lot of those qualities in rookies who come in and are just ready. It’s impressive,” Paul George said of McCain. He provides plenty of energy on both ends. He plays extremely hard, he’s willing to do dirty work, stick his nose in there. He tries to keep possessions alive. He shoots when he’s open. He attacks. He does everything you can. And to be honest, he’s been a light in all of this, coming off the bench and giving us a spark. So it’s great, I know especially for Nick, to have someone so young that’s reliable in that aspect.”

Reliable might even be underselling it a bit. McCain has earned every minute Nurse has given him to start this season, and he’s using every one of those minutes to earn even more.

Last night, beyond the dunk attempt over OG, was the perfect example of his confidence, resilience and fundamental basketball skills. The first half of the game was not the great scoring success that McCain had in the second half, where not everything fell his way shooting-wise, but he remained aggressive and engaged in the game without forcing anything. Whether it was fighting for an offensive rebound against three New York Knicks players…

Or work off the Joel Embiid dribble to get into the paint for a jumper…

Instead of going down on his shooting line, McCain remains poised and productive in the game, contributing in any way he can until they look to score. On Tuesday against the Knicks, he did just that until midway through the third period, when the floodgates opened for him. From then until the end of the game, McCain created space off screens or used his own footwork, drove into the paint without hesitation but with full body control, and sank a pair of triples to try to keep the Sixers in the game late. It didn’t matter how he had shot earlier in the game or who was on defense in front of him now, nothing scared him away.

This is a player in just his 10th game in the NBA — just his first alongside Embiid, who already seems to be developing a comfortable two-man game with the rookie, and just a few weeks to learn how to hone his craft alongside the young guard Tyrese Maxey. He is showing the skills, maturity, confidence and fearlessness needed to succeed and continue to develop in this league, all before he even turns 21.

“I think it comes from my parents instilling in me to always be myself. I think when you’re confident in yourself – how you walk around, how you carry yourself … there’s obviously a lot of social media stuff going on,” McCain explained. “I think when you get used to it and you’re always sure of yourself off the field, it just comes out on the field.

“And I work too hard not to be confident in myself, so there’s no reason why I should be afraid.”